Plague
by Lazlobane
Summary: It starts by taking a scene where Stephanie is kidnapped and giving it a twist that results in much darker consequences. It takes off from there in a paranormal direction. How will our heroine cope with these changes? Will she crack or get back at the man who started it all? And while she's saving the day, who will save her? NOTE: Spoilers to Tricky Twenty Two
1. Escape

I awoke from a vivid dream of me being eaten alive by parasites. I shivered and a cold sweat slid down my throat.

My eyes cracked open slowly and I took in my dark surroundings. I was in the same small room, seated on a single, bloody mattress with my reluctant roommate.

"Mhm," I heard Becker grunt. I turned to my right where he reclined in the corner. My dry lips parted.

"Hey, how long has it been?" I asked.

He turned dim eyes to me- _the drug is still in his system...the massive amount of blood loss isn't helping either-_ and said, "I don't know, Stephanie. I'm... confused..." He stopped talking and closed his eyes once more.

I wasn't getting much out of him. He was out of commission and I wasn't much good either. I found it hard to make my eyes focus and my body felt strangely numb. Becker had told me earlier that Pooka had injected me with a drug...and a deadly bacteria. One that had caused the death of so many people hundreds of years ago.

The Black Plague.

I found it difficult to grasp the magnitude of the situation as well as my own mortality. Thinking too much of it would send me into hysterics, something that was the opposite of productive, especially given the circumstances.

 _Later, Stephanie. Later you can do something about it. If you're still alive any way._

I looked down at my arms, they were cuffed together and chained, bolted to the wall. It was an effective method of imprisonment. My left arm was covered in blood. It was, for a large part, scrapes and debris from slamming onto the pavement.

 _It was from getting hit by Pooka's van...he probably fractured my arm._

I couldn't bring myself to even think of the possibility that it was broken. Though, as I thought it, I could feel nothing but a slow, heavy pulse.

There were two jagged punture wounds, the same ones that lined both of Beckers arms like some kind of twisted, Swiss cheese made of human flesh. Blood still ran down our wounds.

Becker had been held for many days, an involuntary blood cow for Pooka's thousands of genocide inducing pet fleas. As I looked him over I could see that his breaths were very shallow. He was between life and death and the next second could very well be his last.

I laughed weakly; it was a wretched, pathetic sound.

I started to feel cold. Whatever strength I had in me was slowly draining away.

"Beck," I called. He grunted softly in reply.

"I'm going to get us out of this. I promise." No response this time. I could see faint movement from his chest.

 _Hold on kid._

I looked back at the chain attached to my arms and the place it was bolted to on the wall. I braced my feet wide on opposite ends of the wall, I wrapped the rusted chain around my hands for grip, and pushed with everything I had. Sweat beaded on my forehead and my vision wavered.

Suddenly I felt warmth and strength from behind me. I looked over my shoulder at Beck. He had put his arms around me and my hands where the chain was wrapped. His legs were beside mine on the wall. His face was weary looking but suddenly youthful when his eyes crinkled and a small smile apeared on his chapped lips. His black hair flopped forward onto his forehead, obscuring the gash our captor had given him when he'd first been abducted.

"I thought it looked like you needed help. You did say you would rescue me didn't you?" I stared for a second before I smiled and turned back. Both of us used all of our power and the chain tore a chunk of wall with it as the bolt was suddenly freed. We flew back in recoil.

I stood slowly, my legs were like jelly. A small sound of surprise escaped from my throat.

"We did it! We did it Beck! If you hadn't helped..." My eyes widened as I looked at him. He still laid on the floor. His form was still. I crouched down next to him. He was still breathing, to my relief, but in very bad shape.

"Go...without..me...get...help," were the words that he slurred quietly. I shook my head.

"I'm not leaving you here. Not while there's a chance that that psychopath will return." My hands were still chained with the chunk of plaster hanging from the other end. I took a hold of his filthy shirt and started pulling.

"C'mon! Help me out here," I said to him. He pushed his body forward a bit but it seemed his strength had left him. I took a hold of his arm instead for better grip and dragged him out of the shed.

* * *

We were surrounded by woods. My panting sounded deafening to my ears and my fear was like a vise that tightened its grip on my throat.

My breath clouded in front of me as I pulled Becker as fast as I could. But at some point I couldn't anymore.

I leaned him against a tree so we could take a break. His eyelashes fluttered open a crack.

"Just leave me here Steph. Its useless. I'm dead weight. I'm not going to be alive for much longer. We know that." His words were so quiet it was as if I'd imagined them. But I knew I hadn't. The young boy had just told me to abandon him.

"I can't...I won't."

There's no way I'd ever.

"I'm going to rescue you remember?" My breath was heavy and I felt my eyes burn.

He placed his hand over mine. It felt warm. "You've done enough-" I started to disagree but he continued. The expression in his eyes made me quiet, "- You took us away from that place. I don't have to die there." He struggled to swallow and his hand trembled. He paused and clutched at my hand like it was his lifeline. "Tell...my parents that I'm sorry and that I love them would you? And tell Gobs that I'm sorry I didn't listen to him and that he was a great friend."

"You're not going to die Becker. You're going to live. Both of us will." I sounded hysterical.

 _He's being unreasonable._

His face was filthy and there were patches of dry blood all over him but his face looked so serene. His green eyes were so calm as he listened to my yelling.

"It was great to meet you Stephanie Plum. When I grew older I think I'd want to be like you." Those eyes of jade filled with water that overflowed. At the last second he gave a small smile and exhaled slowly.

 **And then he died.**

I looked down at his hand clasped in mine. My throat hurt and a hole replaced my stomach. I looked back into his eyes and saw nothing of the clarity I'd seen in them a second ago.

I stood up on creaky limbs and closed his eyes.

I kept walking.

I don't know how long I walked. Hours it seemed like. I was ready to pass out. The puncture wounds were deeper than they first appeared. The blood still hadn't stopped flowing.

Finally I got out of the brush and stepped onto a sidewalk. A van approached in the distance. I slowly placed myself in the road to stop it. It stopped next to me and Ranger got out.

He embraced me, asked me if I was alright. Explained the situation, how he had found me. But I was only half listening.

"I'm glad you're alive," said Ranger.

 _That's right. I'm alive for now._ Plague or not I'm alive right now.

I told him about the body in the woods and he and Hal went to pick it up. I waited in the car.

I leaned against the window and looked out at the sky.

"How can it be such a beautiful day when it was so cold just a moment ago?"

I broke.

I shook and sobbed while I was alone in the car. Expensive leather surrounding me, the heater set on full blast in an effort it warm me up. My voice cracked a couple times as I mumbled unintelligibly to myself. I couldn't tell you about what.

I cried for part because I was scared and guilty. Scared of my own mortality. Guilty for thinking about myself. But mostly I cried because I'd broken my promise.

I stopped afterward, soberly looked down at my hand, and concentrated on the lingering warmth.

 _'You did say you would rescue me didn't you?'_

I looked back out the window at the cloudless sky. Birds chirped pleasantly. The sun glowed brightly. My blood pooled underneath me, the convergence of heavy drops raining from my arm.

The skin around my eyes tightened. Once again

 _I've been rescued_.


	2. Anger

I was listless as Ranger and Hal raced me to the hospital. I could see both of them glance at me from the rearview mirror but I wouldn't meet their eyes.

"Hey Stephanie, how's your arm holding up," asked Hal.

I looked at it. He had wrapped it in a black uniform shirt he had in the trunk. It was hard to tell but I could see the glistening liquid had soaked through the material.

"Not good. It hasn't stopped bleeding. With my luck I'll die too on the way to the hospital," I replied apathetically. Ranger turned his head and looked at me intensely and then looked at his employee. Hal sped up.

I had told them of the plague already and how I'd been infected. They called the police and a hazmat team to the shack me and... Beck.. had been imprisoned in. I don't know how he'd done it but the man of mystery managed to bypass protocol to take me to the hospital himself.

* * *

Finally we reached our destination. We got out of the car but I turned to them and they halted.

"There's no need to go with me. I would rather you hunt that bastard down and make him pay." I said it more force than I thought I was capable of at the moment. My throat felt dry.

Hal nodded and stepped back into the van while Ranger lingered.

"Babe." His mouth tightened a bit at the corners but quickly smoothed back to normal. He reached out-

-and I stepped back. "I have to hurry."

I ran inside the building to the emergency room. I didn't look back.

I turned the corner and made eye contact with a nurse. It was Nancy, a friend of mine from high school. She smiled and her eyes widened as she took in my filthy appearance. I knew by her expression that I looked like I'd been dipped in trash and sprayed in dark liquid.

She turned and called out to more people who seemed to appear our of nowhere. They put me on a gurney, against my weak protests and stuck more needles in me. I hissed as she peeled away the shirt. It made a strange wet sucking sound that made my stomach churn.

That was the last I remembered before I passed out.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes. The hospital room became more focused and I could see they'd given me a room to myself. The window to my far right was pitch black. Night had fallen.

My body ached as I made a slow evaluation of it myself. I raised my arm to see it bandaged nicely in gauze and tape. I bent my fingers one by one and made a fist.

 _Looks like it wasn't broken after all._

It was strange. I could have sworn I was in worse shape. The cuts and minor aches I thought I had were hardly, if not, present. I lifted myself to a seated position and pulled the wires and syringes away from myself. I had swung my legs over the side of the bed, ready to get the hell away from here, before Nancy stormed into the room and stopped me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Stephanie Plum! What do you think you're up to?" Wisps of her brown hair were escaping from her bun and she looked like she'd pass out if she didn't keep in check. Nurses had it tough.

"Look Nancy, I don't want any trouble but I can't be here anymore. I wouldn't be able to stand it. Besides, I'm fine."

She gave me the eye, and I thought we would be there all night, but finally she let out a breath. "Fine. It does seem like you're okay now. Only some minor bruising and cuts. Just be careful with the stitching on your arm okay? And you had better stay home and rest or I'll tell your mom!"

That have me pause. I told her I would rest and take the proper precautions and medication. I would rest at home. No she didn't have to let my mom know I could be in mortal danger. She wasn't pleased but signed me off and I left before she could change her mind.

I looked at my phone and read the message Ranger had sent me. I walked to the parking structure and, sure enough, a sleek black car was waiting for me, keys in the ignition. I got in and headed to my apartment.

It wasn't until I was halfway there that it occured to me that she hadn't said anything about me being infected. I was sure they had been contacted about the situation.

I made sure to call the hospital and question them. They told me that they had taken samples that were running through the lab first. They weren't sure of anything at the moment.

 _I probably won't even be the first to know whether I'm going to die either._

A flash of anger ran through me. I shivered and quickly tried to get my blood to slow down.

 _I'm just a ball of anger now aren't I?_

I laughed and put no more thought into the intensity I felt and how out of character it was for me.

It wasn't until later that I would realize these changes in demeanor and seemingly small irregularities had been significant.


	3. Hideout

It was midnight by the time I'd gotten home. My footsteps were heavy and loud as I walked down the corridor to my door, the ground at my feet creaking loudly. I took my jingling keys out of my pocket and opened the door.

I took a deep breath and walked inside, closing the door behind me and turning the bolt.

I walked to the dark living room and sat on the couch. My shoulders dropped down as I hunched forward and placed my hands on my knees. I closed my eyes and took a couple slow, deep breaths.

I could hear Rex running in his tank in the aching silence. I got up and took an olive from a jar to drop into his home.

A sudden, loud, ringing noise startled me until I realized it was my home phone. I turned in its direction but stayed where I was.

Eventually it stopped and the caller's voice filled the room.

 _"Stephanie...cupcake? Are you home? I heard about what happened."_ I didn't respond. There was a pause and Morelli continued. _"I'm so sorry Stephanie. I'm...I'll go over to your place okay? I'll be there soon."_ He hung up.

My mind was in disorder. I was relieved that I didn't have to be alone. But at the same time I couldn't bring myself to see anyone. I didn't want him to see me.

 _And I don't want to see you. You broke up with me remember?_ I thought bitterly _._

I shook my head and walked quickly to the bedroom.

I put on a jacket, stuffed some clothes in a backpack, and hitched it on my shoulder. I took Rex and put him in my breast pocket to keep him warm. He burrowed deep into the bottom. I grabbed his tank. I locked the door behind me and walked downstairs.

My breath fogged in front of me and I felt cold. I put my hood over my head and rubbed my hands together, blowing into them to keep warm.

 _It wasn't this cold earlier was it?_

I got into the car and drove over to my parent's house. I parked a couple houses down and walked quietly up the steps into the house. By now everyone had retired. I walked into the kitchen and took the keys to the Buick from the hook.

I placed the tank down on the table and took Rex out of my pocket.

"Sorry," I whispered, "This is just until I fix this mess." I would find Pooka, turn the bastard in, and take Gobbles to the station. The hamster just twitched his whiskers and ran into his soup can.

As quietly as I had come in, I left the house.

I left Ranger's car parked where it was and drove away with my uncle's car. I left my phone in his car. It was better that way. He and Joe would probably conspire together to lock me up somewhere until they thought it was safe. But I couldn't let that happen.

I clenched my fists. I would do what I could to see that I didn't fail Becker again.

 _Time to get to work Steph._

* * *

I drove to a 24-hour internet cafe and logged into one of the computers. A couple minutes later I got an email with the reply. I smiled tightly and left.

I then drove to a McDonald's parking lot across the college campus and got out, scanning the area. I shivered. I felt I must've been imagining things but I was slowly growing colder. I was distracted from that train of thought when I saw a figure approach.

Gobbles.

His eyes were red and he looked shaken as he approached. His blond hair was disheveled and his blue eyes were red and puffy.

"You heard." I said when he reached me. He dragged his fingers roughly through his fine hair.

He laughed bitterly with an undercurrent of fear and sadness. "Yeah. Becker's dead. His family was contacted. Most everyone knows." His voice was hollow with grief.

"If I hadn't listened to Pooka about the fireworks...if I had kept him away from digging too much-" He stopped when I grabbed his shoulder. The fabric of his jacket bunched and he winced. I loosened my grip and looked him in the eye.

"Listen to me. There was nothing you could do. Especially now. What we need to do is make sure that sociopath doesn't hurt anyone else with his plague. And make him pay."

My last words made him focus on my face. He gave me a short, tight nod.

"Yeah."

I gave him a smile that I couldn't get to reach my eyes. "Great. Let's go."

I got in my car and drove behind him, letting him lead me to his hideout. There I would make a few calls and hopefully be one step closer to ending this nightmare.

I shivered.

* * *

We arrived at a run-down building a couple miles north of the campus. I parked and walked up to the entrance. He led me to the fifth floor and to a door marked 507. Or at least that's what it should have been. In reality there was only a five and a seven but in between them, on the door, grime had built up around the missing digit to form it's shape. I was impressed.

He turned the knob and we stepped inside. It was mostly barren, save for a mattress, some blankets, and a few necessities. Well, that and a pile of trash off to the side of, what I guessed, were from his meals.

He spread his arms as he turned to me."Welcome to my humble abode ma'am." I shook my head and sat down on the filthy carpet. I unpacked a couple of my things.

 _Good thing I'd remembered to pack more than just clothes._


	4. Elephant in the Room

"So where's your girlfriend? I was hoping I could borrow her cell phone." I said as I dug through the bag.

"Sorry, she couldn't make it so late. But, luckily enough, she happened to leave it with me." I turned as it was tossed at me.

 _Shit_. He had thrown it with too much force,

But, in a move that surprised even myself, I crouched and jumped backwards. The phone landed on the palm of my outstretched arm. I landed, my other arm on the ground behind me, working to keep me stable.

"Wow. I guess you aren't just a bounty hunter for nothing," said Gobbles in a surprised voice. "I don't mean to sound rude but that was pretty sweet. Didn't think you could be so... agile." He looked a little embarassed.

 _No kidding. What was that?_

I was even more surprised but shrugged and said, "It kicks in sometimes." He nodded slowly and I turned away. I got up on my feet and dialed a number on the device.

"I'm going to step outside for a bit." He nodded absentmindedly and kept typing on his laptop.

Outside I kept to the shadows in order to not to be seen by anyone that might recognise me. Paranoid, I know, but I didn't want to take any chances.

The phone rang and I heard loud grumbling before a sleepy voice answered.

"This had better be good. Whoever the heck thinks it's a good idea to interrupt my beauty sleep at one-thirty in the morning's about to realize they made a big mistake," said Connie in a voice that was half asleep and half threat.

"Connie. Its me, Stephanie. Sorry to call you at this hour-" I was cut off.

"Stephanie? What are you thinking calling me at this hour?" She said it in a more alert voice this time. I never called her late at night, much less from an unknown number.

"I-we- need your help."

I told her about me leaving the coop in order to catch Pooka. She was surprised but eventually relented.

"I'll help you Stephanie. But I want you to remember that this isn't your fight. You don't owe your life to that child, may he rest in peace. Promise me you'll remember that, that you'll be careful...Steph?"

I paused. I could hear her calling me.

"I can't promise you anything right now Connie." My voice cracked a bit.

Now she was silent. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Goodnight." Silence.

I was about to hang up when she answered.

"Goodnight Stephanie. I'll pray for that boy. And for you. I know you can do this." The call ended.

I felt my soul ache at her words. Something twisted inside me and it hurt.

I heard a small thump in the alley next to me that made me jump. I rubbed my freezing arms, dragging my hands up and down their length, and slowly edged towards the mouth of the alley.

It was pitch black but my eyes quickly adjusted and I could clearly see a figure at the end hunched over something. The smell of urine and other filth filled my nostrils suddenly and I gagged.

I could heard gurgling.

 _What...?_

I felt my heart drop when I looked into the man's face.

He looked young. Maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. His dark hair was combed neatly in one of those trendy hairstyles that men were sporting recently. He wore a long coat that partially obstucted my view. That and the piles of boxes and trash littering the narrow space.

 _I shouldn't be here, probably._

I started backing away when he turned his head. The moonlight illuminated his pale face and emphasised the dark liquid around the lower half of his face that interrupted the gentle facade of his features. Making them harsher and alien.

As I watched, his pale face seemed to warm as though by magic and he smiled. Inexplicably, I felt cold to my bones. My instincts told me to run. So I did.

* * *

I opened the door to the room and locked it behind me in a hurry. I walked up to Gobbles and crouched down in front of him.

His brows furrowed and he looked up from his computer. When he saw me he jumped back and hit his head on the wall.

"Aargh!" He rubbed the back of his head and looked at me with wide eyes.

"Holy cow! Why'd you sneak up on me like that?" he exclaimed, now embarrassed.

"I didn't sneak. What are you talking about?" I said nonplussed.

He paused and blinked. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't know you were so quiet. I didn't even hear you come in or approach me." He sounded confused.

I scowled. "You need to be more alert! What it It hadn't been me who walked in?" I shivered at the thought. My mind tried to lead me back to the man in the alley but I stopped myself. I waved my hand in the air as if to clear the cobwebs and the kid looked at me peculiarly.

 _Ahem._

He apologized as I nagged at him to be more aware of being alone, especially in this neighborhood, and we left it at that. We decided it was time to rest. We had a big day tomorrow. We turned off the lights and I layed down on the mattress he'd given me custody over.

I was freezing. I covered myself with the his quilt and tried to quickly fall asleep. I could already hear Gob snoring from his position on the floor, a thin blanket over him.

 _Goodnight Gob...Goodnight Beck._

...

Hungry eyes gazed intensely at the form of the sleeping body inside the room. The figure stood at the center of the room, unmoving, like a statue. It started to step forward and crouched down next to the innocent, reaching...

My eyes snapped open. Heavy eyes scanned the small, dark room. It was just me and Gobbles but I had felt uneasy. He was snoring away, oblivious to his roomate's insomnia. I shivered, my eyes quickly growing heavier, and fell back asleep.


	5. Curtain Call

I hadn't been able to sleep much the other night. Whether it was from Gobbles' snoring, nightmares about the day before, or something else, I wasn't sure.

I stepped out of the shower. The small mirror had fogged up but I didn't bother to clear it. I didn't want to see what would stare back at me. Instead, I quickly changed and put my hair up in an effort to keep things simple.

I stepped out of the bathroom to the sound of muffled voices. I turned and saw that Gobs' girlfriend Julie had shown up.

They turned around and she smiled at me. "Hello, Stephanie. I'm glad you're helping us. I'll do whatever I can to help too! Though don't know how much help I would be able to give you..."

I smiled weakly. "Don't worry. If it comes to that I'll let you know." She beamed at me. It made her look prettier. Not that she wasn't. She actually had a sort of wilderness Barbie look to her(they were a strange looking pair since gobbles looked prepubescent).

 _Actually..._

"You know what? There is something I'd like you to help me with. The both of you actually." They perked up and gave me their full attention.

I turned to Gobbles. "You helped me and Lula break into Pooka's apartment before where we uncovered some paperwork about his experiments and the Black Plague," he nodded seriously, "so I'd like for both of you to search his office at school and see if you can find anything else about his work or...anything significant looking anyway. As students there, you'll be a lot less conspicuous than me"

Julie looked excited, "Now that Dean Mintner is gone we could also look through his home and office!" She turned to Gobs and they high fived. It wasn't a bad idea...if they didn't get caught anyway.

We went over what I expected of them and they left in search. They hadn't asked me the purpose of their task. And that was fine.

 _It suits me for them to not question it._

In reality I wanted them to be able to uncover anything before the police could get to it and remove any trace of his deadly scheme and research. It wasn't as if us getting the information first would help incriminate Pooka any more, now that he was obviously the culprit.

I didn't know why it seemed so important to me. But my gut told me it was, so I'd sent them. Hopefully the knowledge would help me figure out what the heck was happening with my body.

Even now, with the sun up, I felt as if I was in a morgue. I had put on my heavy jacket again, causing Gob and Julie to eye me strangely before they'd left.

 _Oh, well._

I took my keys and exited the building. I went down the steps and walked briskly to where my car was parked. I stopped suddenly and turned to my left.

The alley. This was where I had seen that strange man the night before. I clenched my fists as I fought a strange force that compelled me to go inside. I shook my head and kept walking.

I got in the Buick when I'd reached the curb and started the engine.

 _After all this is done...maybe I'll investigate it_. But, as curious as I was, it scared me. _Mabye I'll tell Morelli about it. Or ask Ranger to come with me._

My thoughts focused on the problem at hand as I drove. I took the disposable phone Julie had brought me out of my jacket pocket and dialed Connie's number. As it rang I put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me again. This is the phone I'll be calling you with for now." I stopped at the light as she answered.

"*Harumph* No wonder everyone's been acting strangely since this morning. Who else did you tell about this plan of yours?"

I grimaced. "Ahh..just You."

Silence.

"If Morelli doesn't kill you, Ranger will. And then you mom will torture whatever scraps of you there are left. I'm sure I'm not saying anything you don't already know though."

I grunted. I had given it some thought obviously. I wasn't excited about the aftermath of all this. But I wasn't going to stop now.

"Do you have anything for me," I asked. Now she grunted.

"Yeah, I have an address for you. It wasn't easy. This guy used to know some people apparently. His file is shut tight. It was alI I could do to get you this much."

That didn't sound good. A chill went up my spine and I turned on the heater. I ended the call after taking note of the address and dodging some probing questions from her. Vinnie was through the roof over my disappearing act. And Lula wasn't exactly happy about being forced to hunt down some skips on her own.

I felt bad for whoever she had set her sights on. And prayed I didn't get blamed for the damages.

* * *

I gathered my thoughts as I drove. What Connie had told me was interesting and I thought back to what she told me before we ended our call.

 _"So I managed to dig around and apparently that rat used to be a head of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology at Columbia University."_

 _I gave a low whistle and said, "That's going to be fun."_

 _"You ask and I deliver boss lady. I can't guarantee results that'll make you happy though."_

I sighed. I figured that I would have to make the trip but I stalled for now. Besides, looking for Pooka was my priority.

I stopped the car and parked it on the side of the road before I got out. I trudged over the wide road and looked up. Birds circled around the tall tree tops. I lowered my gaze and peered into the dense forest.

I swallowed and started for that place.

 _Here we go. No more playing chicken steph._

The trees closed in behind me, making me disappear into it's dark depths, like a curtain at the premature end of a play.


	6. Hello?

I walked quickly through the trees and brush to my destination. After walking through thick mud and overgrown roots for a while, I reached the shack, now surrounded by crime scene tape.

I hugged myself tightly in a vain effort to fend off the chill in the air. On my way here I had felt a rising amount of dread..

It was akin to the feeling of someone running their fingers up your spine or thinking you could see something moving in your peripherals, only to realize you're by yourself.

I patted my back pocket to make sure my taser and handcuffs were there. I knew the chances of seeing Pooka were slim but I was glad I'd brought them.

They gave me a false sense of comfort.

* * *

I looked at the wretched thing before me. The wood was splintered and rotting black mold had formed on it. The ancient door was slightly ajar. It was likely an absentminded mistake made by an officer when they had investigated it. After my escape.

I ducked under the police tape and walked towards it. My hand on the edge of the door-

 _Stephanie.._

-I turned my head around.

I had thought I heard my name in the wind. I shook myself, stepped inside-

 _I'm imagining things._

-and tested my gagging ability for the second time that day.

 _Dear God_.

I guess I had been too busy trying to escape, and too drugged, that I hadn't payed any mind to what else was in this hellhole.

The shack was relatively small; it only had two rooms. One was the one I walked into first.

It was a simple setup. Up against the walls were a couple cages and a tanks. At the center of the room was a folding chair and a surgeons table. The kind doctors use to place their tools atop of. On the ground were some syringes and empty bottles of...

I picked one up and read the label.

 _...Vecuronium bromide._ I shivered and let it fall to the floor where it shattered loudly in the cavernous space.

 _This was what he used to paralyze me._

I felt sick. I didn't want to be in this house of horrors anymore. But like a true masochist, I walked to the next room.

I stopped at the doorway and peered into the small, dark room. My heart slowed down.

On the far, left corner lay the mattress. The ground was bare save for some plaster I'd left after freeing myself from my restraints. But what stuck me most was the smell.

It was tangy and metalic for the most part. But there was the smell of salt, from our sweat, and bodily function as well. Desperation hung on to the myriad of olfactory spices like an unwanted visitor.

 _This was it._

This is where I died.

 _No- not died. Forced into a slow death_.

I felt tired. I kept having flashes of my stay here. The needles, the shaking- the blood. So much. Too much.

I edged backwards and turned around when I bumped into someone. I fell hard on the wooden floorboards and adrenaline came rushing to my head. My head snapped up.

But there was no one there.

 _..the heck..._

I started to get up but a tank that had been left less than two feet from where I crouched caught my eye. I could see something small and white peeking from underneath the corner of it. I inched forward on my knees and lifted it up, tugging what was a sheet of paper out from it.

I stood up slowly, brushing dust and grime from it. I squinted, trying to make out what it said. A series of numbers stood out clearly and the words...

 _...Protect...Black Flood?_

It was hard to make out the letters because they were so faded and poorly written. I wasn't sure I had even gotten the words right.

I pursed my lips, considering. There was no harm in taking it right? It didn't look like anything important. On the bottom were a couple signatures I didn't recognize.

There was a chattering noise that I'd been hearing for a couple minutes that had been bugging me, before I realized it was my teeth. This place made me feel colder than I already did. I folded the sheet and tucked it into the waistband of my jeans.

I made my way out and opened the door, ready to get the hell away from this creepfest, and this time I stopped myself before I collided with the person on the other side.

My mind tried to register what I was seeing without much luck. When it finally did I felt like my skin was trying to jump away from my body.

"Becker," I gasped.

He looked at me brightly and smiled. His black hair was neat and his green eyes vibrant and alive. He looked clean and healthy. No longer was he the filthy, emancipated being I'd last laid eyes on.

"Stephanie. Finally." He sounded a bit exapserated but mostly relieved.

I felt woozy. "You...You're...you shouldn't be here..?" He raised his eyebrows curiously.

"I mean. You aren't alive anymore. How?!" I backed away, lightheaded, and tripped.

"Ah," he said and reached out to catch me, though I managed to regain my balance myself. His hand seemed to go through my arm.

He looked at his hand and back at me.

"Oh, right. Forgot about that. Sorry. Steph?," he said questioningly.

That did it.

My eyes rolled back and I hit the floor with a loud thud, the sound of my name warbled like I'd dunked my head underwater before I passed out.

* * *

I regained consciousness with a start.

 _Brrrrr. I feel like I slept in ice._

As I rubbed the back of my head I said, "This nightmare never ends. When am I going to wake up?"

Becker's face filled my vision. His expression was apologetic. "Unfortunately that is not the case here." He was sitting next to me, the dust settling around us from my fall. He stood and offered me a hand- which he quickly put back down.

I stared up at him in amazement.

"How," I asked, shaken.

He blew out a breath that made his bangs dance. "Well, you're right. I'm not alive Stephanie. Quite dead actually except for the fact that I'm here."

It was difficult but I tried to wrap my head around it. "So...what? Why are you still here? And how am I able to see you?"

I paused.

 _Now I understand how Morelli feels. I feel queasy._

"Those _are_ the usual questions aren't they?" He nodded. Then shrugged.

"Dunno."

We stared at each other.

 ** _Well_.**

I started slowly, "I guess...you have unfinished business? That's what happens in movies anyway."

He looked thoughtful. Then brightened.

"Yeah! I think you're onto something Steph! Mabye...um..mabye you need to catch my killer? That's what usually happens in films too."

I nodded dumbly. "Sure." _Why not?_

A sudden thought struck me. "Have you been here this whole time or are you able to leave," I asked him.

He looked away guiltily. "Well, I've kinda been tagging along with you since I passed. Ah-ha.."

 _I knew it!_

"So you're the reason I've been feeling so cold," I exclaimed. At least I had an answer.

He blinked big, innocent eyes. "Well," he rolled his eyes upward, "I suppose that could happen. But are you sure? I haven't gotten that from other people we've been around."

He was right, but it made sense didn't it? If I could see him wouldn't it follow that I could..feel him? I told him as much and we left it at that.

Though his mouth was screwed to the side as we headed out.

We left and I got in the car. I looked in my rearview mirror at him. His cheeks were gaunt and his face was filthy. There was blood slowly sliding down from his temple, where his gash had been. I gasped and turned around.

He looked normal. Comfortable, even, as he placed his hands on his lap and waited patiently. He raised his eyebrows again, questioningly. I shook my head.

I cleared my throat. "So. Why do you think I couldn't see you before?" I started the engine and put the car in gear.

"Not sure. Mabye this place has something to do with it. This is where I lost my life after all. Though I'm just pulling this shit outta my ass, so.."

I raised my eyebrow at his language and glanced at him again from the mirror. His angelic face looked back at me this time and he smiled mischievously.

I shivered and turned the heater on again. I turned o, the radio too for good measure.

And that's how I found myself, driving to the hospital with a ghost in the backseat singing along to Hello by Adelle.

 _What's happening to my life? Seriously._

 ** _"Hello from the other siiiiddee..."_**


	7. Checkup

"So," he said, his disembodied head sticking out from the passenger seat as he leaned forward, "You gonna get your results from the hospital now? Is that why we're headed there?"

I glanced at him and looked back at the road before I answered. "Yeah. I'm hoping they have the results. I know it's only been a day but I was told they would be rushed since its a delicate situation." The day was already growing dark. The days were ending more quickly and I needed to hurry.

He nodded, "Yeah, I can see that. I mean, if you are contagious, you could start an epidemic probably huh?"

My hands tightened on the steering wheel in an effort to calm down. Becker's presence did nothing to help my imminent hysteria.

This time all of him popped into the seat beside me. He looked at me apologetically.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I'm sure you're fine. You look as healthy as a horse." His eyes crinkled.

I smiled. But something in his voice rung false. I thought back to that morning.

"I doubt it. I probably look like the walking dead," I said self-consciously, "I didn't get much sleep yesterday. I felt like an insomniac." I looked over at him and awaited a cheeky comeback. But he wasn't looking at me anymore.

He looked out at the road, his face drawn. His profile was sharp and something in the set of his mouth...those glowing eyes of his, started to give me pause.

"Beck," I asked tentatively. Was he in deep thought? He was so talkative a second ago.

He turned back, his expression back to normal. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I was looking at that." He pointed at a mall that was looming before us. "I'm going to miss it." I looked ahead of us..

"You're going to miss...the mall?"

 _Oh brother._

He shifted his whole body so it was turned towards the shopping center.

"No," he replied softly, "That's not it." The back of him was all I could see.

Some people say they can read a person by the their back. A strong back. A happy back. An angry back.

His head rested on his shoulder and he hunched forward.

... _but I'm no back reader._

He turned to me. His eyes glowing an intense green. It rivaled the neon lights of pink, purple, blue, and yellow that danced across his face in the dark.

"I think I'm going to miss hanging with friends and having fun. Seeing my family, going out with them. Doing normal stuff like them." He gestured to his right. There was a giggling couple walking in the sidewalk. Behind them were a group of stumbling friends that held on to each other. In the restaurant next to them were multitudes of families illuminated by the brights lights inside.

He shrugged. "Living, you know?"

He turned away from it then and the shadows swallowed him, obscuring his features. The lights and people were now behind us and growing farther away as seconds ticked by. I sucked in a breath.

 _I think my heart is breaking. Is this what it really feels like?_

I kept quiet but tears gathered in my eyes. I blinked rapidly, thankfull for the sudden darkness.

The ride to the hospital was quiet now.

* * *

I parked the car in front of the building and we got out. Well, I got out anyway. Beck just walked through the vehicle.

We walked quietly into the entrance and headed for the desk.

Becker levitated a few feet in front of me. People were going through him, oblivious. It was a sight.

He looked at me sweetly. "Listen. I didn't mean to be a downer back there. It wasn't my intention to make you sad. That's the last thing I want."

I felt a pang.

"I- Sorry." I cleared my throat. The guy who had been killed was trying to comfort me. I felt like a jerk.

"I know." I looked up at him seriously. "Rather than feel sorry, I'll see this to the end."

" _We'll_ see it to the end. We're in this together partner."

We smiled at one another and he looked around. He turned to me.

"Let's stop talking for now. You're already getting funny looks from the people around us. You wouldn't want them to send you to the nut house would you?"

 _Shoot._ I hadn't been paying attention but he was right. I'd have to be careful.

I looked back at him but he was gone.

 _What the-?_

I looked around but I didn't see him. I felt a hand in my shoulder. I jumped a bit.

"Ma'am? Are you alright? Do you need any help?" It was a nurse. I thanked her and asked her for directions. I left for the right department but could feel her gaze as I walked away.

"Beck," I whispered. I turned the corner and he materialized next to me.

"Holy-!"

"Shhhhhh!" He laughed and put his index finger over his mouth. "What? Are you trying to alert the while neighborhood?" His eyes danced.

 _Little asshole._

"How did you do that? Where were you?" I looked around as I spoke, hoping nobody noticed me talking to thin air.

"I was next to you the whole time Step. I just kinda faded out."

"You can do that?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I've been trying to see what I can or can't do since I became like this. Apparently I can do quite a few things. But now isn't the time." He looked up.

"Look alive lady."

I looked towards where he had glanced and approached a big desk. Behind it was a thin man with no trace of hair on him. He was very pale and, as I approached I noticed his eyes were a very pale, watery blue color. Combined, it gave the effect of a dead fish.

"Hello," I said to him. "I'm here for the results to my blood tests. Its sensitive information so I was told it would be ready quickly."

His blank excpression didn't change. "Name?"

"Stephanie Plum." He asked me for several forms of identification that I'd been told I would need and I handed them to him.

He looked at his computer and back at me. He got up and sighed. "Come along."

Oh.

I tried to catch up to his long strides as we walked through several doors to a small area. A couple people were there, writing on sheets of paper and samples of different things were organized neatly on several counters. We walked to a door marked Doctor Piper.

I almost did a double take as I read his full name below the plaque on the door, but a voice inside told us to come in and we stepped inside.

Mister Fish Eyes left me there and closed the door behind me. I turned to the doctor.

I guessed he was in his early fourties. He had a head full of wild blond hair that stuck out in every direction. Thick, black glasses framed warm, brown eyes. He looked tired as he smiled at me. His coat was wrinkled and so were the clothes underneath.

A fan to his right blew gently at his mop of hair.

"Please have a seat Ms. Plum. I don't want to frighten you. This is all just so we can discuss your results privately."

I sat down and waited. He leaned forward.

"Between you and me, there are a lot of gossipers here. I wouldn't want you to be bothered. From what I hear, you've been through enough," he said conspiringly. His eyes crinkled, not unbecomingly, and he chuckled.

He pulled out several documents from out of his desk and cleared his throat. "First let me say this. I don't believe you're dying ma'am. According to your results and those of the specimen that were confiscated it seems conclusive that you are not infected by the plague."

I let out a whoop of air. I couldn't believe it. Something white poked at the corner of my vision and I looked up. He held a couple pieces of tissue from the box beside him. I hadn't realized that I'd started crying. I took them and wiped my face.

He smiled at me warmly. "Yes, it so happens that whatever concoction the man had created managed to...cancel each other out.. for lack of a better phrase. That and those old rats he had gotten a hold of that contained the bacteria had been tampered with before he'd taken them."

"Wow." It was a lot to take in. But I was high off relief at the moment. And that made me miss what he said next. "Hmm? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

His face was now serious. He spoke slowly, "Yes. I said that while your life doesn't seem to be on the line and everything seems stable...it's not exactly normal."

"What do yo I mean? Did I contract some sort of infection? A...disease..?" Bile started to rise up my throat.

He held up his hands quickly and waved them, "No, no! Nothing like that." He glanced at the papers in front of him again and his eyebrows furrowed. "Thing is, you're fine. But whatever he injected you with is still in your bloodstream. It seems benign, thankfully. It was just something to note. If things go their proper course it should leave your system in a couple days."

My heart sank back to its proper place. "Oh. I see." He asked me if I felt fine. I told him I hadn't noticed anything so far. He nodded and continued.

"Like I said, it seems benign. But this something tricky; We don't have much knowledge on it." He looked back up at me. "That's really all. I hope this settled your concerns."

I nodded. _Well, I guess, but.._

"I'd like to have a copy of the results, please." I gestured at the documents in his hands. He looked startled.

"Oh, ah. Yes. I see. Of course." He mumbled and looked through them, pulling out a sheet and placing it on another pile next to him. He handed me the other pages.

"Oh, what was that paper," asked. I shoved the papers into the bag I'd brought.

"It's a couple notes I took myself. I like to have them in hand."

 _Hmmm._

He smiled and extended his hand-

And the fan spun on blast. Papers blew every which way and we jumped. We made a mad scramble, trying to catch them. He turned the fan off.

I picked up the ones that had fallen on the tiled floor and handed them to him. We looked at each other wide eyes and laughed a little.

"Well, that was something! Thank you for your help." We shook hands. "Don't hesitate to return if you have any questions or you don't feel well. Have a good day ma'am."

"Please call me Stephanie. I don't know about Ms. or ma'am. And thank you Doctor Piper."

"Oh, then please, call me Peter. Or Pete for short."


	8. Double Team

I was walking back down to the enterance when Beck faded back in.

"That was something. I'm glad you're alright. I knew you would be." He looked content.

I smiled at him and he started hovering backwards on his back. It looked pretty cool.

He lifted up an eyebrow. "Jealous?"

I shook my head good naturedly. His facial expression changed. "Hey, that guy behind us over there is looking at you funny." He pointed over my shoulder and I turned.

 _Ohhhh SHIT!_

About thirty feet behind us, across the lobby, was Morelli. I made eye contact with him and thought back to when Connie told me he'd kill me. I swallowed.

 _Point for her,_ I thought shakely.

He looked ready to mangle me. His face was red and he started to slowly step towards me, gaining speed as he approached. He looked like an avenging angel.

Even now I couldn't help but appreciate him. His dark hair curled charmingly like always and he looked a lot better than he had recently. His tan skin glowed with health.

"Hey, uh, I think we should probably go. He doesn't look very happy with you, I dont think," said Becker.

That snapped me out of my reverie.

 _That bastard dumped you remember? You don't owe him anything._

His eyebrows lifted and then connected as I turned. It was like everything was in slow motion. I pivoted and ran for my life.

* * *

I booked it out of there and made way to my car only to be faced with death himself.

Ranger stepped out of the corner of the building and crossed his hands over his chest.

 _ **I'm dead.**_

At this rate I would run right into him and he would lock me away. In the batcave, probably.

"What do I do," I asked myself, panting. I had forgotten about my spectral friend and he spoke up.

"Why don't you just plow him over?" My eye twitched.

"Are you insane!?"

"No really! You have a lot of momentum going on right now. Feignt a halt and just bowl him over. Trust me!"

I looked at him skeptically but had run out of time. Ranger looked absolutely predatory. He reached out a hand.

I stopped for a fraction of a second-

"Ste-"

-and quickly focused all my momentum on my shoulder. It connected with his chest and he hit the concrete with a loud thud. I stumbled forward a bit but managed to regain my balance. I looked down at him.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean... I mean..," I stuttered.

"Steph, I don't think you have time to be apologizing at the moment," said Beck cheerfully from my ear.

" _STEPHANIE_!" Joe was racing down the sidewalk. He was like a bull set on getting that big red cape. That big red cape being me.

I looked down at Ranger, who was already starting to get up, eyes narrowed, and ran as fast as my legs could manage.

I unlocked and got in the Buick in record speed and started the car. Beck floated on the seat behind me. I reversed and started to pull forward when hands landed on the window next to me.

Screams filled the car.

Morelli's face filled the window and he slapped on it, his other hand trying to open the door.

"You get out this instant young lady!"

I shook my head and inched forward. Ranger stood next to him and Morelli stepped back. He placed his hands on the knob.

 _He's going to unlock it!_ That fact that they were working together let it sink in that they meant business.

Me and Becker continued to yell as I stomped on the gas and peeled the hell out of there, the tires screeching loudly. I burned rubber, leaving a trail of dust and the smell of burnt petroleum.

* * *

" _ **Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh**_!" We kept screaming until I'd zigzagged across several streets. My blood was pumping, my adrenline at a high.

We slowed to a more normal speed and I gulped in lungfuls of air.

"Holy crap! You were so good, " laughed my passenger.

I smiled. A part of me was secretly proud.

 _I know what I did was stupid but can you blame me for being amazed I'd done that?_

My phone rang and I glanced at the number.

I felt my heart start to race again. I didn't know the number and I'd only given it to Connie, Julie, and Gobbles.

The car was silent as it rang. Eventually it stopped and a flash appeared on the screen.

Beck floated into the passenger seat and looked at the phone.

"You got a text message."

My heart clenched and I opened the phone, eyes still on the road. "What does it say?"

I already had an idea but I wanted to be sure.

It was quiet for am moment. A low whistle filled the silence.

"Ahhh. Well, it says, 'We'll play your game for now babe. But remember that there are consequences.'" He glanced at me. "Underneath it says. 'Nice moves'."

I blew out a breath. "I'm in trouble."

"It would seem so. But...they really care about you huh?" He said it with wonder and curiosity.

I blinked. "I-I guess."

"You shouldn't make them worry so much."

I sighed. "I know," I said quietly.

He bobbed his head, pleased with my answer and pointed his finger at the stereo. It came to life and Drunk in Love by Beyoncé started playing.

My eyes widened and jaw dropped.

 _...you?_

Eyes a blaze of green he twirled his finger in the air. As he did it a sheet of paper faded into sight.

"Do I get praise, " he asked slyly.

"I knew it was you, " I exclaimed. I looked at him thoughtfully. "What other tricks are you hiding Casper?"

"You'd like to know wouldn't you _Ms. Plum_?"

We cackled and drove back to the hideout, grins splitting our faces and singing out loud like drunkards.


	9. Symphony

The phone rang again. Beck leaned over and said, "Its from Gobs this time. You should answer it." I took the phone and accepted the call, putting it on speaker.

"Hello," I asked, eyes on the road. We were approaching the apartment and I couldn't wait to see what he and Julie had accomplished today. I had only a managed to secure the paper from Peter (well, that and the other document, but it seemed like a dead end). I hadn't had time look at it yet.

 _Hopefully it's something._

"Hey, Stephanie. I know this is last minute but I thought we could meet at a restaurant to discuss what we found. We're starving and I think it's best to switch things up in the long run so we're not caught."

"Hmm. Yeah that makes sense. Where do you want to meet?"

"Well see you at the Starving Artist in twenty."

I agreed and we hung up. I turned to Becker. "Have any idea what the heck the 'Starving Artist' is?"

He gave me a grin. "Its only the best place ever!" I rolled my eyes as he went on about how cool and cheap it was.

 _College students_.

We turned south and I listened to his directions, his arms gesturing wildly as he described it.

* * *

We stepped inside the establishment.

 _Well, he didn't lie_.

If there was a musical equivalent to a sports bar, this would probably be it.

The walls were decorated with instruments and memorablia in the form of music sheets and signed records, amongst other things. The theme seemed to be a mix between art deco and 50's diner. It worked somehow. Mabye.

A waitress who, I could only assume was goth, approached us.

"Hello," she said cheerfully, "party of one?"

I almost corrected her about the one but shut my mouth before I pointed out the invisible man next to me. He was becoming too real.

I smiled. "Actually, I'm meeting some friends. So a table for...three please."

She lead us to a part of the restaurant that seemed to focus on classical music. We sat down and I thanked her again as she placed some menus on the table.

"Yes! This is my favorite part of the restaurant." He vibrated with happiness as the sounds of violins and other instruments assaulted my ears.

"You, ah, really like this place huh? Are you a music connoisseur or something?"

That have him pause. He stated at me then bopped himself on the head with the palm of his hand. "Oh, right. It feels like we're so close now. I'd forgotten you know next to nothing about me. I'm actually- was- a music major. It was my passion in life."

I felt my eyebrows raise.

"Really? And here I thought you were a run of the mill frat boy," I said jokingly.

He looked at me with mock sterness.

"I'll have you know ma'am. I am a charming frat-musician-artist boy. The ladies love it," he winked at me with exaggeration, "The ladies love _me_."

We were laughing when I felt a presence behind me. I swiveled around.

"Hope we're not interrupting your...laugh session Stephanie." Gobs said playfully as he and Julie slid into the booth.

Ahem.

"I was thinking of something funny." My face was red.

He smiled, making his swollen eyes look a little less sad. "You don't need to explain. I talk to myself all the time." Julie nodded and shook her head at him.

"So", she started, turning to me, "How do you like the place? "

I looked around, taking in the sights and sounds...and smells. My stomach grumbled.

"It's pretty neat, I have to admit. You come here a lot?," I asked her

She sighed and acted annoyed. "Not really. This was Gobbles' and Becker's hang out spot. They usually left me behind." Her eyes got soft and her voice was fond when she continued. "Becker loved this place. He was a musician, if you didn't know. It was his major too. We wouldn't say it around him cuz he'd get a big head but he was actually a progidy amongst his-" a sob escaped her and she put her head down on the table.

Gobs put his arm around her shoulder and spoke softly into her ear. But I could see remembering had taken a part of him too. He's eyes were red again and he was in the verge of tears.

I didn't dare glance at the friend in question. But out of the corner of my eye I could see him watch them, expressionless.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just still so new, you know?," she said as she waved a hand in the air and patted her boyfriends arm, thanking him. She looked intent. "What matters now is solving this mess."

She rummaged in her bag and took out two things, placing them in front of me. Becker floated closer to me to peer at them.

The first thing that caught my attention was the big quartz crystal attracted to a rope. It looked familiar.

Gobbles tapped the table in front of it and spoke. "I'm not sure if you remember but Pooka has a necklace exactly like this that he would always wear. He claimed that it 'spoke' to him."

"Oh, right." I thought back to when I'd first met him. He had said the same thing to me and Lula. It had freaked her out.

I picked it up and- mabye it was just my imagination, but- it felt warm. I set it back down quickly.

 _Mabye Lula had been onto something._

"Is it Pooka's?"

They shook their heads.

"It looks like it but the dean's is clear. The other one was less pure I guess. It was pretty opaque at the center. Like, foggy white." The boy's hands gestured at the center of the rock.

"Trust us. We've had a lot of time to look at it. A lot more than we would've liked," he added bitterly.

He stopped and took a breath. "Sorry. *Ahem* We found it next to his bed at his home. The other thing we found in a secret compartment in his desk-don't ask. It seemed pretty interesting so we brought it in case."

I had to give the would-be thief credit. I wondered how he had guessed about the desk. But I didn't have time now. _I'll ask later._

I picked it up and looked at it.

My nostrils flared as I read the the document and I felt a tremor go through me. I thought back to the other document I had found at the shed.

It wasn't _'Protect Black Flood_ ' that was written on it. It was-

"Project... **Black Blood**?" I was startled at the sudden sound of Becker's voice. I'd forgotten he was next to me. I looked back at it. It looked to be a document of transactions. There were a lot of big numbers next to dollar signs. And names. Dean Mintner's being one of them.

Julie leaned forward, eyes glittering.

"Interesting right? Apparently the Dean had been a supporter for whatever this project was, like, five years ago but he stopped then. And if you look here on the bottom," she singled out a line towards the end, "He had apparently started 'donating' again recently. Before Pooka shot him dead anyway. Thing is, it looks like the project had been shut down already."

My head was spinning. This puzzle seemed to grow larger the more we dug and we weren't having much luck getting closer to finding our killer.

But I nodded my head calmly. "Hmm. Yes. This is very interesting. I'll have my people look into it. Mabye something will come up." That seemed to please them. And I would get Connie to check some things for me.

 _Wait a second_. I pulled out the sheet I'd found and placed them side by side, comparing. They all leaned forward.

 _Finally a friggin' clue!_

"You see this little symbol here on the paper," I moved my finger to point at the sheet I'd found, "It's here too. It's probably important. If we can figure out what it means we're golden." We would have another lead anyway.

We all stared at the symbol.

We paused as the same waitress came and asked us if we were ready. We quickly looked through and placed our orders, handing back the menus afterwards. She left and we were lost in deep thought again.

Fingers snapped next to me and I looked at Beck. He looked like he'd had an 'ah-ha' moment. He placed his lips next to my ear and I shivered over the cold.

"Tell them you figured it out," he whispered.

 _I guess he forgot that they can't hear him anyway._

I looked up at them.

"I, ah, think I figured it out." I said nervously.

"Really?" Gobbles looked expectant.

"Sure."

Their faces froze, waiting. When I didn't speak the boy asked, "So what do you think it is?" Another couple, uncomfortable seconds ticked away.

 _I swear to god, Beck. I'm going to find a way to revive you just do I can kill you again myself._ Thoughts on homicide, I almost missed his response.

"It's the symbol for Columbia university." I blinked dumbly and repeated the words quickly, my mouth tripping on the words.

I was excited. This gave us another connection. One I'd be able to get a handle on tomorrow when I'd planned to go. I told them as much and they agreed it was a good break.

Right on time our food arrived and we dug in. I realized I had barely eaten in the last two days as I attacked my burger and fries.

In between bites Gobbles looked up and pointed excitedly behind us. "Look," he said, his face smeared with secret sauce, " it's the mechanical piano." Julie clapped.

"The what? Does it...play electric music?"

Julie laughed good naturedly and corrected me. "No," she shook her head, "it has a song selection you can choose from. You place a buck in and then you choose. You can see the keys moving up and down like there's someone there. Its pretty cool." She put her hand underneath the table, struggling to get something out of her pocket. She pulled out a wrinkled bill.

"Here, try it."

I took it reluctantly after a lot of cajoling from all three of them.

 _If this is what being a mother feels like...sorry mom._

I stepped up to it as the last song ended and saw that they were right. I tried to get the dollar as crisp as I could and lowered my hands towards it. Another hand blocked the opening, stopping me.

"Wait, Stephanie," said Beck. "Would you...let me play instead? I...I promise they won't know. I just really miss it." He looked at me with big eyes.

I could almost spit I was so disgusted-with myself. I immediately relented and sat back down.

We all looked on as Becker sat on the bench and placed his hands on the keys. A nice tune started to play. It's was calming and I found myself reacting to it. I closed my eyes.

"Nocturne No2 in E-flat. Nice choice. Didn't know you liked music too." This was from Gobs.

I shrugged, "My mom forced me and my sister to take piano lessons when we were younger. I wasn't very good. I could just about play one song." He laughed.

The truth was, I'd enjoyed it. But Valerie was much better. She received praise while I fell behind. I'd quit pretty soon after. I shook myself mentally.

 _This song really is affecting me. Talk about nostalgia._

We looked back and I could see Beck had immersed himself in the song. His whole body moved as if a force drew the notes out from inside him. His eyebrows were furrowed and he stared, unseeing, at the space ahead of him.

Of course, no one but me could see it.

The song ended.

* * *

We took our leave, each in our respective vehicles. Becker floated to the car but Gobs held me back.

"Thanks for that. I know you wouldn't be aware of it but that song struck a cord." That surprised me.

"How so?"

He looked tired, but something within him had loosened a bit. "That was the first song Beck had taught me how to play. Only song, really, since I'm so inept. We used to play it together all the time. Its how I'd recognised it so easily."

I didn't know how to respond. He turned and waved as he walked away. "Meet you back at the apartment."

I stood there, watching him go for a couple seconds longer, before I turned back to my car.

I looked up at the sky. The stars shun brightly.

I could still hear the notes of their song in my mind so strongly.

As if they could just escape from there and fly into the night.

I got into the car and we drove back, tired. But hopeful.


	10. Keys to Success

Julie stayed over that night and we turned in early. Gobbles was supposed to go hide at her place tomorrow.

I hoped we neared the end of this play soon.

They cuddled on the sleeping bags she'd brought and wished me a good night.

"Goodnight." I turned to Beck. He waved at me and started to float away. He went brought the door, off on whatever nightly adventure he came across.

I'd asked him before we reached the hideout what he'd done the night before.

A part of me hoped he would bring up the alley man. I didn't want to think I'd gone nuts.

Or that I wasn't, and that what I'd seen was real.

But he hadn't mentioned it. He had just told me that he didn't sleep apparently, and that the first night he'd been testing the limits of how far he could travel without me. Apparently far enough that he could go do his impression of an explorer.

I chuckled but stopped when a sudden coldness filled my veins. I shuddered, my whole body spasming. Terror made my mouth shut tight. It was over quickly, leaving me feel like my internal temperature had gone down another couple degrees.

I'd been good about ignoring my body's confusing changes, my perpetual state of cold, but this left me wondering for the first time if something was truly wrong.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_

The apartment was dark and quiet. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes.

I hadn't felt so alone in a long time.

 _I miss everyone. Lula, Joe, Ranger, mom, grandma...hell, I even miss Vinnie._

I shut my eyes tightly and let myself be carried away into a cold, deep sleep.

* * *

The figure stood at the center of the room, eyes sparkling darkly. This time it left the confined room where they slept, unaware.

Once outside, it prowled, searching. Searching for it.

It felt that presence again and turned, growling dangerously at it.

The other being. It had stopped it last time from taking the innocent. It reeked of something that gave the figure pause. The energy around it was potent.

 _"No,"_ said the other.

It would not stop this time. The figure charged at it, a shadow of fury, ready to tear it to shreds.

It was no match the second time.

From behind it felt a brush of hands over its eyes. It fell to its knees, immediately weak.

 _"Sleep now."_

 _Next time,_ it thought as the other drowed out it's thoughts. It was a promise.

 ** _Next time..._**

* * *

I woke up bright and early. Me and Becker hit the small restaurant next to the building and I ate a hearty breakfast. I almost expected Beck to comment on my ability to shovel down food, but he didn't.

That done, we headed to greener pastures.

We started for New York.

"You're looking pretty pale Steph. Are you alright?, " he asked, concerned. We had another half hour of driving before we arrived at the University.

"Am I? I haven't been feeling well I guess." To tell the truth, I hadn't noticed it much myself anymore. But if it was starting to become noticeable..it wasn't good. I sighed.

The younger boy started to nag me about the benefits to eating balanced meals and excercise in my life. I agreed in monotone.

We spent the rest of the drive chatting and deciding how I would go about the investigation.

I called Connie.

"Hey. I need you to look into a number for me." I gave her the digit atop of the document I'd found at the shed. I described the rest of it to her. "If you can find anything about 'Project Black Blood' too I'd appreciate it.

"Yeah, sure. Anything else?" I detected a note of sarcasm. I raised an eyebrow.

"By the way," I started slowly, "You wouldn't happen to know who ratted me out to Ranger and Joe would you? Somehow they were able to get a hold of some pretty sensitive information about my whereabouts. Even my number if you can believe it!" I laughed with meaning.

I heard a swallow at the other end.

"Alright! Alright! It's not like I wasn't going to help. Don't guilt trip me. I feel bad enough as is," she said. I laughed, shaking my head. I couldn't blame her. It's not like I hadn't thought about the possibility.

 _I wouldn't want to be caught lying to those two either._

We left it at that and agreed to call each other later. "Poor Connie."

"I wouldn't want to go up against Superman and Batman either."

I turned to him, my eyes bulging.

 _Superman and Ba..._

I exploded in laughter. My side's hurt.

 _I can't..._

"Oh, man. I really do like you, Becker"

"Told you. The ladies _love_ me. By the way, nice guilt trip skills."

"Thanks. I learned it from the best. My mother."

* * *

"New york huh? I have some relatives here actually." We chatted as we walked into the campus. It was pretty busy for some reason. I said as much to my personal poltergeist.

"Don't you know? It's New Years day tonight. My campus was celebrating it too." He looked thoughtful. "It's why we had tried to hurry up the fireworks. Me and Gobs." He looked distant again.

The fireworks were the reason he'd been killed. Pooka had assured the boys he would help them but it was for his own, dark purposes.

Becker had caught on and...

"Oh, look, there's the Department of Music and Theater!" He turned to me, now excited. "Pleaseee! Can we go take a peek? I've always wanted to see it. They have some state of the art stuff." If ghosts could drool, then this one was certainly doing it.

I caved in quickly after several pleas.

 _I didn't know I was so soft. Another reason I'm not fit to be a mom._

I'd just stick to Rex and my spectral man-child.

He spun around me at a dizzying speed as we entered. I had to admit that even I appreciated the equipment. There were several rooms. Some were empty, others were filled with serious students, honing their crafts.

I hadn't realized I was on my own until I turned to say something to Beck. I turned around and caught sight of him going through a room of wide double doors.

"Hey!" I went after him.

* * *

I walked inside the dim room. It turned out to be a small auditorium. I saw Beck going up to the stage and faint music sounded from a huge grand piano atop of it.

"Hey! Stop it would you-" I swallowed, as I realized he hadn't been the one playing. It was an older woman who sat behind the piano. She didn't look happy at my outburst.

 _Dang it_.

Beck hovered behind her, eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He shook his head slowly.

"Excuse me?," asked the woman. She was dressed in a tasteful suit in a burgundy shade. Her jewelery suited the outfit and complemented her dark skin tone. Her hair was cropped short. In her dark eyes shun a keen look that people usually lost with age.

I immediately backtracked.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it. I mean-i didn't know it was you. I-" I took a breath. She took her hands off the keys and regarded me quietly.

"I thought my partner had come in here just now. I was mistaken. And I apologize for disturbing you." Her eyes narrowed.

"And who are you? You don't look familiar." Her voice was a surprising smooth soprano. It was pleasant to listen to. Or should've been, but she sounded, and looked, seriously suspicious of me.

"Oh, well...I'm a fugitive recovery agent. Stephanie Plum. I'm here investigating the disappearance of a primary character in my search." That sounded plausible. I was glad me and Becker had come up with it on the way here.

Still, she looked wary. "You don't look like an enforcer of any kind."

Becker made a frustrated sound. "I can't take it."

He told me to tell her to...well I wasn't sure but it was some kind of music jargon I didn't really understand. _It had been a long time, okay?_

It had to do with the song she had been playing before.

I squinted at him. Was this really the time for that? The woman looked behind her and glanced back at me warily. I was starting to look like a nut. Great.

 _Well, I have nothing to lose anyway. I can shake her off and hope for the best of she decides to sick security on me_.

I repeated Becker's words and her eyebrows went up. She turned back to the piano and played a few notes. Her head was inclined, as if listening closely to the sounds.

She was silent for a moment. I started to worry. She looked up at me then, her lips pursed.

"It's...not according to the book. But it sounds...lovely." Her expression changed then, curious.

"How did you know? Are you some kind of progidy?" My eyes widened and I waved my hands back and forth.

"No, not at all! I can hardly play anything. I just know a few things," I said weakly.

Her face was more open now, and gone was her scowl. She smiled at me.

"So you're here investigating?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. _Mabye she'd point me to the right direction._

"Yes. Mabye you can help me? I'd like to know where the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology is. I was hoping to look into a project that a couple researchers in this school were a part of. It would help me a lot."

She looked at me thoughtfully and stood, walking over to me. Beck drew close to me.

She extended her hand and we shook. It was a solid handshake. That of one accustomed to working with people who underestimated her. But I didn't.

"I didn't introduce myself, Stephanie Plum. I'm Amanda Greer. I'll do you one better. I'll take you to the new heads themselves and ask them to assist you. How's that sound?"

I was surprised. "Good. But I don't know how much help you'll be. I think these records are private. I'm sure they won't take much heed to the words of a Music professor." I almost kicked myself over my lack of tact.

She laughed heartily. "I'm not a Music professor, Stephanie. Like you, I only dabble in it. It's a hobby." She shrugged one shoulder elegantly and looked me in the eyes. I knew I hadn't mistaken the look in them.

 _Intellect_.

"I'm the Dean of Columbia University. They'll listen to my orders." Her musical voice held an edge to it, like a steel undercurrent.

"Dang," I heard next to me.

I grinned and she smiled, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Lead the way then, if you please, _Dean_ Amanda Greer."


	11. Codename

"By the way, you mentioned a partner?," Amanda asked as we walked down another hall leading to, what she told me, was the department center of operations, where all matters pertaining to scientific research were stored.

"Oh, yes. Don't worry about him. I'm sure he's around here somewhere." I hoped I was a better liar than I thought I was. She either didn't read my cheesy smile or chose to ignore it.

We turned left and entered a section of the building that was eerily similar to a hospital. There were a lot of windows where people in lab gear could be seen performing tests on samples or using equipment on things that I couldn't even begin to identify.

A man walked up to us dressed in blue scrubs. I felt my heart skip a beat as I looked more closely at him.

He bore a remarkable resemblance to Bill Nye.

I was star struck.

"Who are you?," he asked angrily. He looked at me. Then turned to Amanda with a more schooled expression.

"Dean Greer. I'm sorry but who exactly is this? You know that there is very delicate research going on here. Not to mention highly secured files and objects that others have been dying to get their filthy hands on." He glared at me suspiciously as he added that last part.

 _Nope. He wished he was Bill. The science guy would never treat me this way._

"Stand down, Professor Frederick. She is here to investigate a serious matter. We need access to a file from five years ago. And your knowledge on the matter." Her tone left no room to argue.

He huffed and turned. "Follow me then. And make sure that nothing you see, hear, or learn here ever leaves this building," his tone turned sarcastic, " _Miss Investigator._ " He started walking deeper into the lab.

"What an ass. He's lucky he looks like Nye or there'd be nothing charming about him," Becker muttered.

 _I couldn't agree with you more._

We followed.

* * *

We ended up in an older part of the lab, an archive room the size of a library. Hundreds of shelves stood in rows and columns, filling the entire space. A domed ceiling held a massive mosaic of different aspects of the Enlightnment as well as traces of mythology and different forms of religion. It gave the lifeless room a personality. Albeit an eclectic one.

We walked all the way to the right of the room and walked forward until he stopped.

"Here we are. All of the documents from that year and department are on this shelf. They are coded differently in an effort to thward any attempt of thievery or tampering," he gestured at the different colored folders and containers, serial numbers on the binding of each one.

"It's an old system that has yet to fail us, as I am the only one with the knowledge at present." He smoothed his fingers over that back of the files and boxes like they were longtime friends.

"Apparently our methods have failed us this time professor. Your old protégé Stanley Pooka. It seems he took some specimen with him when he left the institute. Now he has been using them for acts of terrorism." Her voice was calm but it was obvious she was disappointed in him.

Meanwhile Frederick looked stricken. His eyes dilated and he shook, looking at his charges. "Stanley?," he whispered, "No," disbelieving, he continued, "No. He's a- a good boy. He couldn't have...he..." He blinked rapidly and swallowed.

"He took a couple rodents from the climate room and who knows what else. He's using them to create a an epidemic." Now she sounded angry.

He closed his eyes. Then opened them and turned to me. "Is this true?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I was hoping you could help me by letting me look at his old research...it's extremely important. I need to capture him and bring him to justice for his crimes."

Now he appeared to be a changed man, his whole body looked like it sagged. "Is there a project you need information on specifically?"

I took the papers out of my pockets and presented them to him. As his eyes roamed the pages I could see he was growing increasingly affected.

"Project Black Blood eh?," he chuckled faintly.

Painfully.

"I thought as much." He turned to me, his brown eyes now tired-looking. "I had hoped this isn't what you were talking about, but it wouldn't be about anything else would it..." He seemed to be talking to himself.

He moved down to the end of the shelf and pulled out a thick, black folder and a small box beside it. He walked back with them and handed me the folder.

"Here is the data they accumulated as well as individual notes. The project was shut down back then. That is why the file is black."

I opened it, tearing the seal on the end, and pulled out a stack of papers. I looked them over, my eyes scanning the pages.

 _I can't make sense of it._

"What are these names?," I asked, confused. There were several dispersed throughout all the research: Wizard, Alpha, Nightowl, Pepper, Vlad, Greg, Sweets... The list went on, naming ten or fifteen others.

His thick brows furrowed as he took the file and smoothed back into place as he understood. "Yes," he said, "This is common with the projects in Columbia. If the information is sensitive enough, the scientists and others important figures take on code names in order to remain anonymous."

 _Oh, no._

"Great. Please tell me there's a way that I can get a hold of the actual names," I said with desperation.

He shook his head quickly. "There is no way i can get a hold of that information. It has been lost. I can tell you, however, that Stanley's codename was Vlad. He was in charge of the blood work. And Mintner was...Gatsby. I suppose it had to do with him having helped fund the project." His face looked thoughtful as he considered. He scanned the list of names intently.

Beck and Amanda had been quiet the whole time, taking in this information.

Meanwhile, I took the quartz out of my pocket and presented it to them. "What do you know about this? Pooka and Mintner both had these with them. Is there any significance?" I held it up from its rope and it glinted a bit in the faint amount of light that permeated the room from a small window at the center of the dome.

He pursed his lips. "Yes. They all wore them. Stanley had told me that Vanessa had come up with it. Whatever they were dealing with gave them all a bad feeling, but, being researchers, they continued with their work. It was supposed to help them feel safe I suppose"

 _Who?_

I was distracted from that thought as I saw what he did next.

He opened the box he had been holding and showed it to us. There were many more crystals stowed inside. All were completely pure and clear like Minter's.

"There were a lot of researchers," I said. Then, a thought that had been lodged in my mind while looking at them appeared.

"Why do only Pooka and Mintner have them? Did the rest of them decide to leave them after the project had ended?"

Frederick looked quietly at the crystals.

"Tell her about it," said Amanda. It was an order.

He looked at her, for the first time appearing angry at her words. When he turned back to me his face looked like it was crumbling. He took a shaking breath.

"The few remaining members kept theirs like Vanessa had advised them."

 _Hmm...it was something to go on._

"Can you please tell me where I can mabye find her? Any information would help me in my investigation. Please."

"That is...possible. Actually, I can give you the whereabouts of these members." He shook the crystals, signifying he meant their previous owners.

I perked up. Beck looked intent next to me. I looked at him, excited and noticed he didn't look like he matched the sentiment.

"Stephanie," he said, turning to look at me. His face looked strange. "Ask him what he means by remaining members. If Pooka was a remaining member, then why was he kicked out? It doesn't make sense."

I thought about it and realized he was right. "Hey, how can Stanley be a remaining member? I thought he was terminated. I'd like to know the reason."

Was the scientist playing me?

He looked at the ground, as if remembering something. His eyes blazed as he looked up at mine. I almost took a step back but managed to keep still, my hands twitching.

"That man...Stanley. He was discharged because of his sudden mental instability. I heard he had taken the mandatory counseling sessions but he could never hope reach his previous position again."

"Sudden mental instability? What do you mean?" My heart clenched.

All his energy left him then, the fire That had burned so brightly a second ago dying quickly in his eyes.

"He...he lost all reason when the accident occured. His mind broke-," he gasped, overcome with grief.

I was shocked.

"What accident?," I whispered.

His eyes were two stones and his voice hard like granite.

"The one that took the life of his wife."

"Wife?" My voice was so faint to my ears.

"Yes. His wife" He choked the words out.

Beck took a ragged breath.

Tears gathered in my eyes and I took ahold of his coat, clenching my hand tightly, fabric bunching beneath my palm.

"Tell me," I demanded.

He laughed hysterically, a bit unhinged himself.

"Oakwood cemetery. That's where you'll find all of the owners of these crystals. That's where you'll find Vanessa. My...daughter."

I was stunned. I let go of his coat and he slumped back.

"Codename Wizard. She was one of the head researchers in the school and this project. My daughter and his wife."He covered his eyes with his hand, digging his fingers in. I flinched at the sight.

 _ **"Vanessa Pooka."**_


	12. Bloodwork

"Vanessa had always been interested in the supernatural, having been influenced by her late mother, who was a specialist in Mythology, growing up. As she grew older she pondered about science and how the two could come together." He looked at us.

"She met Stanley when I introduced them about seven or eight years ago, him being a sort of disciple to me," he said quietly.

"When they married, I was actually surprised she changed her last name. She was a bit of a feminist you see. But she liked the name Pooka," he laughed a bit, fondly, and continued, "Said that Pooka was the name of a Celtic creature. A kind of mischievous nature spirit, or some such thing." He smiled, his eyes turned downward.

My heart was slowly sinking. I wasn't sure what to feel. On one hand, it seems like Pooka had become unstable because of such a loss. But he was still a murderer and a threat to everyone.

"What happened with the project?," I asked softly. He looked up, as if surprised there were people around him and he snapped out of it.

"Well, one day she came back from Egypt with a new specimen they had dug up. She was very excited. We all were. It could mean the discovery of a whole new species of man."

 _Holy..._

He nodded at my expression. "Yes, it was a very big thing. A couple of our other people were planted in other countries like Africa and the middle east, the areas where our ancestors first traveled and lived. In a shocking series of events, more of these humanoids were discovered! They were all brought back to be examined."

He swallowed.

"At first everyone was excited. They look samples of flesh. Some, incredibly, still had traces of hair. Vanessa and Stanley had been married for a little over a year then and were inseparable. They both took part in Project Black Blood. He managed to rehydrate the mummified remains and even found blood in the marrow. A large group of fifteen of our best took a part in the proceedings. I'm not exactly sure who was superior to who, but my daughter was one of the people in charge. They had to be very careful, however. We had no clue what sort of pathogens or diseases could be reincorporated into modern society if we weren't careful. For whatever reason, it was discovered that the beings were immune to any and all diseases and bacteria that they tested on them. Being his specialty, Stan was very excited."

"This doesn't answer what happened," said Beck. His eyes burned into the professor.

As if he'd heard the words, Frederick took the plunge. "After a month of work, they all started to experience serious fatigue. They grew very paranoid and Vanessa gave them the quartz necklaces. After that things seemed to settle down, but she, in turn, became more fearful over what they discovered. I didn't understand her worry and neither did Pooka. They pushed her concerns to the side, prompted by another leader to continue. It was a mistake."

The air seemed have been sucked out of the room and it was eerily quiet.

"One day they went into the lab...they didn't come back alive."

 _What? How?_

"One or two researchers were down with a cold. The rest clocked in and started working. Something...happened. Before he became completely incoherent he told me that one second they were fine and the next a bright light had filled the room. It felt like nothing he'd felt before, as if invisible hands were tearing him apart."

I shuddered, imagining it. This was turning down a horror movie path.

Vanessa and he were near the door. She-," he stopped. "Sorry. She pushed him out of the way, into the hall, and landed atop him. He was knocked unconscious. The light had faded when he awoke and Vanessa lay on his chest. Dead. As were most of the others. But soon after, almost all of the remaining were hospitalized and passed away. He and one of the others were the only survivors. It was never discovered how, but doctors speculated a seizure or something similar from something they had contracted in the foreign lands they had visited."

He chewed on his lower lip."The project was shut down and seemed too much of a risk to open again until better advancements in technology are made. I believe that Stan is trying to bring attention to his research by releasing the plague."

"He's going to infect everyone to prove that he has a cure all?!," shouted Becker. He was furious and vibrated with emotion. He faded in and out like static before he settled down a bit.

I looked over at Angela and she looked back at me. Her features were tight as she told me, "Looks like you have your work cut out for you. We will assist you in this matter. All information is readily accessible for you until the matter is resolved." I nodded and thanked her.

"Can anyone tell me where the lab they used is? Is it in this building?"

They shook their heads.

"I believe the facility you are looking for is in New Jersey. It has been shut down for a long time now, virtually abandoned by Columbia. Perhaps there you will find some clues."

 _Rather than clues, I think that's where our madman is hiding. And when I find him I'll make him answer my questions._ A strong emotion made me shiver.

"You might want to hold back whatever your thinking right now Steph. Your even giving me the heebiejebbies. Eesh." Beck shivered and gestured at my audience. They looked at me blankly.

"Ah...thank you. Can you please give me the specifics to this location Professor Frederick?" I mumbled it and could feel my face warm under their gazes.

"Yes, of course." He looked back down the first page of notes in his hands. "The facility was...in Trenton, New Jersey. Ah! Here is the address!" He handed the paper to me and I looked at where he pointed.

"That's near the campus, Stephanie! He must've had very easy access to his work this whole time," Beck exclaimed, hands on his solid looking hips. He peered at the paper as if it would tell him more. But neither he nor I were experts. We would likely get no more out of the file.

"Thank you for your help." We left him there, the notes in my bag, and walked back with Amanda and Beck as my entourage.

* * *

I hadn't noticed the paper fall out of my pocket until I saw her stop behind me. She picked it up and unfolded it.

 _That's the Doctor's notes!_

"Oh, sorry, that's mine," I told her, sheepishly. She glanced at them and handed it back to me.

"What is it?"

"Oh, it's just some notes my doctor...gave me. Its nothing." We had realized that Peter hadn't been lying when he said they were just some random scribbles. A couple of complicated words in latin, medical terminology, floated on the page and an small doodle filled the corner, only one or two lines of actual diagnosis were written down. Nothing he hadn't told me, either. We felt ashamed for being so paranoid.

"Hmph. I see. Well, be careful, alright? I like you Stephanie Plum."

I blinked.

"Thank you. I like you too." That seemed to please her. She nodded, as if I'd answered correctly.

I shoved the note my pocket and she eyed the process. I turned to leave, ready to head back, and she looked back up at me.

"Don't lose yourself," said her lilting voice.

I turned back around-

 _What? What did she say?_

-but she was already walking away.

I shrugged. I would be careful. "Ready, kid?"

He turned to me, having been watching the dean's retreating form, and looked somber. "I'm always ready. The question is, are you, Stephanie Plum?"

"Let's go."

 _My hands are inching with the need to...what?_

I didn't know, but I'd find out soon enough.


	13. Road Rage

"I wouldn't have thought he was married," I said casually in the car. The wind was blowing through the window as we headed to Trenton. It was probably making my hair look like the Bride of Frankenstein's in the process, but I could've cared less at the moment.

I was getting used to my body's new temperature too. I no longer felt cold. Just numb.

Becker leaned back on the passenger seat, with a knee to his chest, and put his hand to his chin. He looked like the Thinker.

"Yeah." He didn't elaborate. He stared somewhere to his left with glazed eyes.

 _I'm starting to wonder about this guy._ He seemed prone to introspective moods. I couldn't get a read on what he really felt.

 _But that's no reason to doubt him._

I did away with that line of thinking and focused on our actual criminal.

"What about you?," he asked suddenly.

I was startled. I hadn't expected him to talk yet.

"What? 'What about me', what?"

He unfurled his body and placed his elbow on the dash, turning completely to face me. A trick only a ghost could do.

I clicked my tongue in jealousy.

"Don't 'what' me. Have you ever married? Loved anyone?" He said it slowly, eyes like a hawk were watching me intently.

I was a little annoyed, my hackles raised over the sudden bout of questions and the subjects they covered. "Why are you asking me about that? This isn't about me. This is about you-this is about Pooka! And preventing a disaster!" I realized what I sounded like and closed my mouth with an audible click.

"Of course." A small smile played on his mouth. "I just wanted some small talk."

I felt horrible. _Why did I overreact so much?_ I wanted to hit myself.

I let out a gusty sigh. "Right. Sorry."

"No worries. I'm sorry I asked. I know now isn't the best time to gabble like schoolgirls." The smile seemed to falter, and when it started to wither away my stomach soured.

"I think we can make an exception. I really didn't mean to bite your head off." I gave him a smile, apologizing. His turned into a grin, his eyes refreshing and brimming with energy. I felt lighter as I saw it, as if his happiness reflected upon me.

"So, to answer your first question, yes. I did marry. Years ago. But I divorced that man the very same day during the reception," I looked over and tested his reaction to my next words, "when I caught him porking my nemesis."

He winced sympathetically. "What a turd. You deserve much better than that." I blushed over his words. Sometimes I wasn't sure I did.

I cleared my throat.

"Thanks. Well, as for me ever loving anybody, that's a little more complicated. Especially my life being the way it is now-"

"Wait! What are you skipping ahead for?," he said, interupting me.

"Okay. You really like confusing me don't you?," I asked, exasperated. What did the frat boy want to get at so badly?

 _Why couldn't he be an insensitive ass instead of a sensitive one?_

"You're talking about the present, Steph. But you've completely skipped over the past. Didn't you love your husband?"

I opened my mouth but no sound came out. I closed and opened it again a couple times as I tried to disentangle my brain.

"What do you mean?," I wheezed out.

"Oh, come on. You don't seem like the type to marry for no reason. Much less a man you don't even like." He raised an eyebrow, daring me to refute his logic. I can't say I didn't try.

"I was in a bad point in my life okay? I made a mistake in judgement over his character. And it didn't help that my mom was pressuring me to marry, comparing my life to my sister's. I'm not exactly young, or getting any younger,you know?" I took a deep breath.

That was a mouthful.

"I'm not buying that for a second, lady. You would never marry someone just because your mom told you to, or because you're 'old'. I don't see a ring on your finger now. So that's bull."

Flabbergasted I said, "You should've been a psychology major instead, Dr. Phil."

"I've been told I'm too smart for my own good."

 _I bet._

"I guess that's why I'm in this position now."

 _Oh. Becker.._

"Anyway," I added quickly, "I guess...I did love him, or thought I did anyway. You're right. But I really did make a mistake, and he obviously didn't feel the same way." We stopped at a light and I shut my eyes for a couple seconds, remembering.

It had taken me months, if not a few years, to really get over it. I'm not sure I was truly healed even now. I opened my eyes.

"That's part off the reason it's so complicated now, I suppose." I had never thought of it.

"So those two guys from earlier want you huh?" I was embarrassed and was sure my face was beet red.

"Yeah," I started slowly, "but it's a little more complicated than that."

"How?"

"Well, I'm not sure how I truly feel about either for one."

"It's seems to me that you love them. Can you honestly say you don't love Superman?"

 _Morelli._

"No. I can't." _I do love him._

"Can you honestly say you don't love Batman?"

My breath blew out and my chest deflated. "No...I can't say that either. Even if our relationship is complicated-"

 _And boy was that an understatement_.

"-I do love him. Arrgh!," I yelled in frustration.

"Is there a meaning to this chat? Does your current state of being give you infinite wisdom in matters of the heart? One of the tricks up your sleeve you mentioned?" I was touchy and I didn't particularly care.

"I'm just trying to drive something home, that's all." The way he looked at me made me realize that this kid's life completely revolves around me at the moment. Of course he would like to know more, talk more. It's a wonder he hasn't gone crazy being in the position he's in.

"Look at me," he demanded.

"I am!," I exclaimed, confused.

"No, you're not. _Look_ at me Stephanie. Don't make me a martyr. I'm not a poor, tortured soul. _I'M DEAD_! There's no changing it!," he shouted it and I flinched.

He collected himself. Slowly he placed his hand over mine on the wheel, careful of overlaping them as to not break the illusion of touch. It shook.

With effort or emotion?

His face was turned away but I could see the shame. "I'm sorry. I just want to pound into that... head of yours.. how important your life is at the moment. Not mine." He looked at me then.

"Love yourself a little more. Or you force others, who actually care about you, to do it for you. You're not knight in shining armor. And that's fine. Keep _being_ the bumbling bounty hunter who doesn't even carry a gun."

"Hey!"

He laughed with mirth and lifted his hand. He brought it to my face instead.

"You have two- **two**!- badass guys who obviously love you. Not to mention family and friends. I know you're confused now, and everyone seems to be holding their breath, waiting for you to decide how you're going to live your life, or who you'll end up with. But remember that it's your choice, nobody else's." I felt a breeze in my hair. It was cool.

"Take however long you need to decide, because once you finally do, that's it. Don't listen to anyone's 'Date this guy, date the other, blah blah blah'. Respect yourself and love yourself before you start listening to anyone else. That's why you frustrate me, Steph. You have so much life and your willing to give it up, like that," he snapped his fingers.

"What do you suggest I do?" My voice sounded watery and big drops hit my lap. A small pool was forming. He'd carved me up and tore out my insides like a jack-o-lantern.

"I want you to be okay with things the way they are. Time will change things slowly. Don't force yourself."

We were on the streets now in a quiet neighborhood, and there were very few cars out. I aimed a watery smile at him. "Well-", I lifted the back of my hand to wipe my eyes.

He looked out the window furiously, his eyes widening, and shouted suddenly. " _Get down!_ "

An invisible force pushed me down and the car rocked. A bright flash of light above me filled the car.

 _A bright flash of light..._

I could hear static in my ears and my heart beat wildly, unsure of what was happening above me. A couple seconds passed and I looked up. Beck was back in his seat, looking around us.

There was very faint, golden light around him that dimmed and disappeared quickly.

 _Beck..?_

I almost opened my mouth to ask what had happened but he turned to me, his expression intense.

"Let's get the hell out of here. I don't know what that was and I don't think it's a good idea to stick around and find out."

He didn't need to tell me twice. I drove out of there as fast as I could.

* * *

We parked in the dark. A streetlight had burned out, giving big blue some much needed camouflage.

We sat in the dark car and I quickly looked over all the notes again.

 _No help. Thought as much._

"Aren't you going to text someone you're here? Let them know you got him?"

"We're not even sure he's here. If I call Ranger or Morelli and he's not here, not only will I be in even bigger trouble, this time they'll seriously stow me away somewhere."

The phone lay innocently in the holder. A facade.

We both sighed.

Once out of the car we headed towards the large brick building that was almost swallowed by a huge amount of vines scaling it.

We walked quietly along the side of the building and, sure enough, there was a small metal door. It was rusted and had obviously been opened with a bolt cutter. The chain and lock lay, decaying, on the overgrown grass and weeds.

Beck was about to go inside to see if anyone was there when we heard a sound. I turned sound slowly, a feeling of terror shedding down my spine and came face to face with my captor once again. And a long, wicked-looking blade.

His face and wild hair were filthy and his dim, brown eyes told me he was now completely deranged.

He grasped his quartz necklace tightly.

"You were right. I knew you wouldn't lie to me. She came right to me without me having to find her." He laughed and it was the most chilling sound I'd heard in a long time.

"Pooka," Becker breathed.

Stanley thrust the blade forward and gestured at the door, the knife catching the moonlight and reflecting it in its cold surface. "Get in."

 _I'm done for._


	14. You're a Wizard, Harry

I stumbled into the dimmly lit area. It was a big space that resembled a warehouse now that most everything had been emptied out. A couple tables and file cabinets littered the space as well as a few scientific instruments and old looking machines with copious amounts of switches and buttons.

Everything held a blanket of dust over it.

"Move faster," said Pooka. I felt a small prick in my lower back and walked forward, to the center of the space until he told me to stop.

"Stop here. I want you to lay down on the ground real slow. Face the floor." I lowered myself quietly and my ears pricked at the sound of chains. He started to tie my feet together and I started to panic.

Flashes of when he'd first taken me entered my mind. Me and Beck...

 _Beck? Where is he?_

I craned my neck up to see if he was by me. Suddenly, I felt a heavy hand and my face got slammed into the ground. I heard a loud crunch and gray dots filled my vision.

Beside my ear I could hear Stanley. "Don't test me. If you try anything I won't hesitate to hurt you, bounty hunter." Bile filled my throat.

Blood racing, I tried to think calmly. This was prompted my the sound of a new set of chains. He was going to tie my hands together next...and who knows what he would do afterwards...

I felt the cold metal touch my wrist and reacted instinctively.

I retracted my legs and lunged back like a mule, making contact with his midsection. I heard a grunt and he fell to the ground. I flipped myself over and jumped on him. Our bodies were aligned as we both struggled against one another.

"Beck! Beck!," I shouted. Though, how he could have helped, I didn't know.

I kept a tight grip on him and he struggled like a bucking bull underneath me. I slipped to the side and he used that as leverage to put himself atop me. I felt hands snake around my neck and tighten painfully.

He shook me and I heard my brain rattle.

"Why?," he shouted through clenched teeth. "Why did you have to struggle? I only needed you to show everyone that it was a success! That we found a cure to all illness!"

I coughed. His face twisted, red, above me and the crystal around his neck hung in the air between us. It was foggy like Gobbles and Julie had said. A vein of gold ran through it. Strangely, it radiated heat.

 _The innocent..._

"And then...and then Vanessa will be able to rest in peace knowing that she was able to help the world." He shut his eyes and his grip loosened.

I used that instant to take a crack at his face. He flew backwards and I kept retracting my hand and plunging it into his face. Crunching, wet noises filled the cavernous space. Echoing. An animalistic impulse kept me from stopping.

I ripped the quarts necklace from his neck and he finally reacted. His arm whipped forward and hit me across my face.

I shouted.

I saw him pull out the blade from his back and aim it at me.

I caught it, inches away from my torso and we struggled. We both shouted, our voices raising up to the sky. The building seemed to shake.

I heard Becker, in the distance, shout. It distracted me enough that the knife pierced my shoulder. I yelled in agony and clawed at Pooka's hand. It twisted and dug deeper into me. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes.

 _Slam!_

Stanley stared at me, confused for a second, before falling unconcious next to me. My eyes widened when I looked up.

A hand reached out to me and I took it, after rapidly removing the chain from around my ankles.

He helped me up and brown eyes looked me over seriously.

I stepped back.

"He hurt you." He looked down at Pooka angrily and back up at me. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner Stephanie. It took me some time to track you down."

I looked at him, bewildered. He stopped talking as he saw my expression.

"Ah. Uh..I have a perfectly good explanation, okay?" Dr. Piper put his hands up.

I backed up another step. "How did you find me?"

He looked at the ground and back up at me. He scratched the back of his neck.

"Wellll...I planted a tracking device on you to be sure I could find you."

 _What?!_

"Where is it?"

"It was the paper you took from my office. The, ah, notes, you took." His face turned pink.

I patted my back pocket, and, sure enough, there was the paper. I flipped it over in my hands. It seemed innocent enough.

"Are you taking me for an idiot?," I demanded. His eyes widened.

"No! Of course not! I know this seems unbelievable but it's the truth. I knew you and that demon would be interested in a fake document if I made it unavailable to you." He gestured at the words in latin on the paper and the strange drawing before his face turned pinker. "Not that you're gullible or anything. I just thought that it would peak your interest. Luckily, I was right." He smiled brightly.

"Wait! Demon?" My heart beat against my ribs. What did he know about Beck and why did he call him a demon?

Peter blinked. "Yes, the creature who has been stealing your life force like a leech this whole time." I gasped and looked around. Across the room I could see Becker struggling against a grey fog that seemed to wrap itself around him.

I made eye contact and his eyes blazed like green flames. His shouts were muffled by the fog. I could now feel his anger and it seemed to suffocate me. I shivered, the cold seeming to return.

 _The light I saw earlier, coming from him. There's no way it could be related to the light that flashed before the researchers died...could it?_ My insides twisted.

 _No. No, there was no way._

"Becker is a ghost," I said weakly as I looked at the specter.

"Stephanie...," the doctors face turned to one of unease and lament, " there is no such thing as ghosts." I turned back to Peter.

"There are only demons."

His brown eyes shined with a golden hue in the light. "They are actually quite rare. I'm sure you've noticed that he was the only 'ghost' you've seen so far, correct?"

"Who...what are you?," I whispered. It felt like everything was falling apart at the seams. The air vibrated as Beck snarled loudly, his eyes drowning in something dangerous and potent.

"Me? Well, I'm just a doctor who saw a special type of patient in need-"

He flicked his finger up and the paper in my hands burst into flames. I pulled my hand away quickly but it had already disappeared.

"-but, as it happens to be, I'm also a wizard. Or, Unmentionable, if you prefer."

 _Shit._


	15. Tall, dark, and Undead

There was no way.

I only knew what he was talking about because Diesel had told me about them and how he was one. I'd never truly believed him. Was it possible?

 _And what about Beck?_

My teeth chattered. It seemed the cold had come back with a vengeance. Ice ran through my veins.

Something in the back of my head called at me but it was far away.

A hand appeared in my line of vision and I jumped a little.

Dr. Piper gently touched my face, my nose. The one that had crunched so loudly earlier when Pooka smashed my face into the cemented ground. I flinched, knowing it would burn as soon as he made contact.

"Don't worry. You are completely fine," said Peter laughingly.

"What do you mean?," I asked, surprised. I reached up and touched it tenderly. He was right, it didn't hurt at all.

 _What in the...?_

My mind flashed back to when I'd been in the hospital. How I'd recuperated so quickly and how my arm hadn't been broken like I'd thought.

He looked at me speculatively for a moment before he started. He looked up as he spoke. "So...it seems you don't know anything about your situation?"

"No..can you tell me? Do you know?" I almost shook him. I felt half insane, overwhelmed by everything.

What did it all mean? I glanced at Becker's stiff form from across the space. His body was tense and strung tight, like he was ready to spring at any moment.

I didn't dare look into those eyes.

The doctor sighed. He glanced at Becker. "I've put a protective charm around it. It's supposed to prevent evil beings from moving. And from speaking." I was sure I looked confused so he elaborated. "Dark beings, especially demons, are very good at manipulating people with their words. Even I'd be susceptible, so it's safer this way."

He pursed his lips and put his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. "I'm sure it has charmed you with pretty words. But they're all lies, Stephanie. Whoever you think he is- its a facade it's created."

My eyes grew very warm and my vision distorted so I couldn't see his expression. I nodded, my head jerking up and down mechanically. I felt pathetic. I hated this.

 _I hate it so much_.

I clenched my fists tightly and felt pain in my left hand. I looked down and opened it.

The crystal.

I had forgotten I'd torn it off of Stanley Pooka's neck. I looked a couple feet to my right where he remained motionless. I could tell he was alive. His chest rose up and down.

 _Though he doesn't deserve it_ , I thought poisonously.

"You sure did a number on him, I almost feel sorry. It didn't take much to knock him out. And that brings me back to you. I have a theory of what's occuring to you. Those results revealed more than I'd let you know before." He looked back at me. "I'm ashamed of that, but I had to lay low for this all to pan out. The truth is, there's more to your blood work than meets the eye. And luckily, I have very good eyes." They flashed as he said it. Their golden tone caught the moonlight streaming in through the high windows.

"Tell me everything. Please."

He nodded, now sober. "It seems Pooka was right about his research being correct. Your anatomy tells me that you have a superbly high number of white blood cells, everything else is in overdrive as well. I'm shocked to admit that it could very well heal you in ways science only dreams of. That's how you regenerated so quickly just now. But that's just the human aspect of it."

My head was starting to pound. I thought sarcastically, _But I can still get headaches? Right_.

That thought died when another arose.

 _What if it isn't a headache? Wouldn't that mean it's something much worse?_

I forced myself to focus on his words.

"There is also the magical or supernatural aspect."

"No way."

He stopped, surprised. "You can accept demons and magic but you can't accept this?"

His crazy logic was irrefutable.

"I...it's just that I'm me. Stephanie Plum. I just can't bring myself to believe that I have anything to do with all this," I waved my hands widely around the empty space surrounding me, "this world. I'm normal-well- I'm more normal than _this_. I'd like to think so, anyway." My voice was high and I blabbered in an attempt to stop him from continuing.

He continued, obviously.

"I did some research on him and found out he was involved with research on blood. I dug more and found that he had been part of a big project he'd worked on before it shut down. Apparently he visited some exotic places and brought back things with him. I'm sure that they were specimen of the supernatural kind. And that's what's coursing through your body."

"Wow." It was all I could come up with.

He nodded, but looked frustrated. "Yes, it's definitely surprising. But it's also worrisome." He turned his head to the side, thinking.

"What do you mean? You just said I'm basically impervious, didn't you?" I started to sweat. I could feel it building in my hairline.

"Physically...yes. Spiritually..." His mouth was open but no sound came out.

"Tell me! I need to know. Tell me why I feel like this. Tell me what's happening to me." I sounded like a stranger. My voice was thick with emotion.

His eyes were melted gold, intense and hot.

"Your losing your soul, Stephanie. You've already lost part of it."

I staggered back, as if hit. I bent down, gulping down air in an effort to breath. "What are you saying?," I asked in between breaths.

"You're cold to the touch and you are loosing the vibrancy that people have in life. I noticed when I first laid eyes on you at the hospital. You look better but it's progressed since then. And the demon hasn't helped matters."

"What about Beck?"

"It probably followed you around in an effort to catch the falling pieces of your soul in order to grow more powerful. And that he is. He's brimming with energy." He said the last with vague unease.

"Whatever the mystical beings were that Stanley experimented on don't appear to have been of the light. Its like a parasite eating away at your soul..until you have none. And, finally, you will become whatever it is that they were."

"Is there no way to stop this?," I whispered. I felt my light slowly extinguishing.

He looked at me sadly, but stopped and started pacing. "If-if we could get another energy source..Something with a great enough amount of energy into you, we could mabye overpower the thing eating you alive." He looked at Becker.

"No!," I shouted. My face grew warm. "I mean, please, I know what you said but I can't hurt him. I can't."

He shook his head. "That's alright. We couldn't get anything out of him anyway. Once a dark being consumed energy, it's tainted. We need a _light_ source of spiritual energy."

We both stopped to think. I looked down at my hands again and my gaze landed on the quartz that warmed my palm.

 _The innocent_... I twitched and shook myself.

I held it up.

"What about this?," I said, "Do you know what it is?"

When his gaze landed on it, he became still. His mouth opened. "Where did you get this?," he asked.

I pointed at Pooka. "He had been wearing it. Speaking to it actually. I took it from him while we were fighting," I replied sheepishly.

He looked at it intently. The light reflected off the lenses of his glasses, obscuring his eyes. "Huh."

"Well?," I asked nervously.

He straightened. "I honestly have no idea what this is. But it does let out an extrordinary amount of energy. I just can't tell if it is neutral or insidious." He held out his hand. "Pass it to me."

I held it to my chest.

 _He wants the innocent. Finally found it. There's no way I'll give it to him._ My lip curled and a low sound escaped from my throat before I stopped myself.

His eyes were wide. "Stephanie...? Are you alright?"

"I'm so sorry! I don't know what's come over me! The inno- the crystal. I'll give it to you. Okay?" I extended my hand jerkily.

He nodded, still looking wary, and reached out.

The crystal glistened as several of its faces reflected the silver light. The white interior looked like actual fog, swirling impossibly, and the gold looked like a bolt of lightning during a storm.

Peter touched it and it seemed to pulse between us. His fingers curved around-

Something black hit him and he went flying across the room like a bullet. He crashed against some equipment and the wall. Plaster flew everywhere.

The wind blew on by hair, making it move gently.

I reacted and turned in the direction he'd crashed. "Peter!" I could hear sounds but the cloud of dust obscured him.

I started to run in his direction when Pooka started to stir. I stopped.

 _He's not going anywhere. And if he is, I'll hunt him down._

I ran a couple more feet to the corner of the room and heard grunting.

The dust finally settled and I could see. "Pete-" I swallowed my words, speechless at the sight in front of me.

Two figures fought at a speed I had a hard time keeping up with. They struggled against one another, their bodies whirlwinds of power and anger.

One turned to me.

"Who...are you,?" I whispered harshly.

The thought at the back of my head scratched painfully now, but I still couldn't reach it.

A tall figure had appeared with straight, black hair tied back at the nape. His jaw was sharp and ferocious as his teeth were bared, his lips curving at the corners ever so slightly. A smile that made me shiver with its violence.

His eyes turned in my direction for a split second, before turning away. But their gaze seemed to penetrate me. Like I was sucked into a grassy field, it's breeze cooling me and, at the same time, soothing me.

 _Eyes of jade._

His deep voice rumbled.

 ** _"I'll kill you."_**


	16. Skeletons in the Closet

I fell to my knees. A lump in my throat made it hard to swallow.

"Becker?," I said with a broken voice.

 _Peter had been right..._ Angry tears developed at the corners of my eyes. _How could I have been so blind. So stupid?_

This person before me wasn't the Becker I'd known. He looked older...and deadly. The air around him seemed to vibrate as if he were a furnace.

I looked on as Piper landed a roundhouse kick to Becker's stomach and sent him skidding a few feet. But the demon got up, twisting away before the doctor managed to land another kick to his throat.

Becker had told Dr. Piper that he would kill him, but it didn't seem like he had the strength to do much damage.

It was strange.

 _How had he managed to escape from the binding spell? And just how corporeal was he?_

 _Before, it had seemed like he was truly a ghost._

I shook those thoughts away.

 _Get it through your head! It was all a lie!_

I looked back at them and wondered what I could do. I flinched and looked at the quartz I held. It was starting to get a lot hotter, as if resonating with what was happening.

Wait a second.

 _The heat...the innocent...flash of light.._

The thought wouldn't come forth no matter how hard I tried. I knew it was something important. But what could it be?

I looked at them, breathing steadily while thinking back on everything I had learned. My pupils dilated to the size of pinpricks.

. **..a name**.

I sucked in a long breath.

 _No. I'm getting ahead of myself! It's just a coincidence._

Even so, the thought had finally started to bloom.

Becker dodged Peter's fists with the agility of a dancer and stamina of a boxer, but miscalculated and fell. Peter chanted a series of words and this time a black fog surrounded him, slowly tightening against his body. His gaze flickered in my direction before turning it away.

The doctor panted, sweat glistening on his forehead. His eyes were melting hot.

"Stephanie! Give me the quartz!," he exclaimed in a desperate tone.

"What do you mean? Weren't we going to see if we could use it in order to save me?" My heartbeat slowed and I could hear steps close behind me.

He made a face of frustration and strain. "I know, and we will! But right now I need more power in order to be sure it's completely sealed. Hurry!"

I hesitated and looked at Beck. My heart skipped a beat as I noticed he was staring at me. Only his face was visible, but it was slowly being swallowed by the black.

His eyes were framed by long, black lashes and thick, straight eyebrows the color of a ravens feathers.

His eyes were clear.

I was brought back to that day. The day everything changed for us.

 _"Just leave me here Steph. Its useless. I'm dead weight. I'm not going to be alive for much longer. We know that."_

Only his lips moved, curving into a lonely smile as he mouthed.

 _Leave me._

Something thick and heavy stirred in my gut. A feeling of recognition and nostalgia.

 _What's real anymore?_

A figure stumbled forward from behind me.

Pooka.

I turned to look at him as he staggered, holding a hand to the back of his head where Dr. Piper has slammed his fist. His eyes were glazed over but seemed to focus a bit on me.

He extended his bloody hand and walked towards me but almost face-planted onto the concrete floor.

"Give..give her to me. Please," he said desperately. He fell to his knees next to me.

"What?"

"Give me...my wife back. Please. I'm sorry. Just please give her back to me," his voice was pathetic. He gestured at my hand.

"This...is your wife?" I showed him the necklace. He nodded vigorously and stopped himself, as if dizzy.

I opened my mouth to ask him why he thought that when Peter shouted.

"Stephanie! Give me the quartz! Quickly!," he shouted angrily. "What are you waiting for?!"

I turned back at Stanley and he looked up, for the first time, at the men in front of him. His demeanor changed and he stared, mouth opening in shock.

I knew what would come out of his mouth before he said it. But he had confirmed my suspicions.

I got up.

"... ** _Pepper_**?," Pooka said quietly. "What are you doing here?"

It was as if the air was sucked out of the lab. Peter Piper stared blankly at Pooka. Then, his eyes turned slowly in my direction. Now I knew what they resembled. A caged animal, its eyes reflected in the dark.

 _Peter Piper picked a patch of pickled peppers..._

He hung his head. And started chuckling. "Oh, man. It had been going so well 'Vlad'. But you always manage to mess everything up. You and Wizard were both so pathetic. I don't know why I thought you'd be any different"

When he raised his head he was a completely different person. The way he held himself and his expressions were vastly different from before. His skin took on a grey tone, his eyes shifting to silver.

"What..are you?," I whispered, digusted.

He smiled and I almost gagged at the sight. His teeth were sharp and long, like something out of nightmares. They looked rotting and vile.

"There are many names for what I am, Stephanie. Adze or obayifo depending on where in Africa you are. A decendant of Ammit, a goddess in Egypt. Or even Wendigo, which is more common this side of the globe. None of these are completely accurate, people tend to shape things for their own ends and purposes, but they are all the same thing, I can assure you. Of course, you don't understand anything I'm saying though, do you?" He smiled and I flinched.

"Abomination," Pooka whispered, his face pale. He trembled. "This is your true form. Is this why you helped me? In order to take Vanessa from me? To _feed_ on her, soul eater? Flesh devourer?," he wheezed.

"You're pathetic. If it wasn't for Vanessa being so weak none of this would have happened. We could have extracted the essence of the Old Ones, together. With her power, she and I could have done it. Then we'd have had so much power! Unlimited potential!"

"At the cost of what? The lives of everyone else? Vanessa told me you were spiraling out of control. And you're right, I am a fool. For believing your lies. You don't want to better the world. You're just a parasite, feeding on others."

Pepper laughed harshly, "I'm not the only one though, am I? You seem to forget that you're a murderer. You talk about having my own ends, but look at yourself. You're mad as a hatter, you hack."

In an instant he appeared in front of me and Pooka. He grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up. Up close I could see that his skin was stretched taught over his bones, giving him a gaunt and horrifying appearance.

He looked at his former partner but spoke to me in a deep voice that reminded me of a cave, echoing coldly. Damp and seemingly bottomless.

"Give me the quartz. _Now_. Or I'll kill him. I've lost my patience with imbeciles."

Stanley grasped at the hand tightening on his neck, struggling. His whole body spasmed, his feet inches off the ground, kicking at empty space.

"Stop!," I shouted. "I'll give it to you! Just put him down!" I lifted my hand, palm up, the necklace laying there.

Pooka laughed, though it sounded more like strangled coughs. "As leader, you had so much potential. But look at you now. You're literally the shell of a man. You will never be what you wish. You will always be less than that because you've turned yourself into a bottomless pit. Blame your greed for turning you into this...thing. I hope you die knowing that you'll always be less than what you wished. Imperfect. And _weak_ " He laughed nastily but stopped, gasping.

I felt the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end. The air around Piper changed, and his face twisted in rage.

Stanley Pooka's next words were meant for me. "Don't give him- don't give her to hi-"

 ** _SNAP!_**

He tossed Pooka aside. I looked at him, crumpled on the ground, unmoving. His neck was bent in an impossible angle...

I bent over and threw up all the contents in my stomach. I dry heaved a couple times before I straightened, my body shaking.

"Why...? I was going to give you the necklace! _Why did you kill him?!_ ," I yelled in rage, my breath choppy.

He looked up from the corpse to me. His silver eyes were cold and brutal.

"Because I wanted to. Simple as that."

* * *

 **A/N: Feel free to guess what will happen next, and how this story is going to end. Thank you for reading this far and leaving such positive reviews.**


	17. Love is for Fools Like Me and You

My mind sputtered in disbelief. I took a shaking step back.

His eyes narrowed and he turned to me. "Be careful, Stephanie. Give it to me or you'll end up like him." I could hear the hiss in his voice.

I looked at him.

 _Face it, you'll end up just like Pooka anyway._

I came to the realization that no matter what I did, this story would end the same way.

He would kill me.

I turned to Becker, a shakey smile formed on my face, preparing to ask him something I'd been curious about ever since he had brought up the topic.

But before that I had to be sure of something else.

He looked at me calmly, the black fog covering most of his face, having already enveloped his entire body like a blanket of miasma.

"Hey, Becker? Are you really Beck?...or a demon?" I held my ground. Piper raised his eyebrows at me and turned to the other man.

 _Allowing it for his amusement, I suppose._

The man I'd thought of as my friend and confidant opened his mouth. A surprisingly deep baritone with musical undertones replied, "I...am Becker. But I am not Becker."

I shook my head angrily. "Don't play games with me! You're either one or the other! Are you Becker or not?!," my voice flooded with emotion, "Are you the boy who told me to tell his parents he loved them? The boy I promised I'd save?!," I continued pathetically, " _The one I broke that promise to?_ " I shook violently, hot tears streaming down my cheeks, pooling on my chin before raining onto the pavement below me.

For the first time a shadow of emotion flashed into his face. "I do remember, Stephanie. I remember our time in hell. The fact that you rescued me-"

"I didn't! I didn't rescue you. I failed you.." I clenched my teeth. Peter seemed amused by all this. I ignored him.

"You did. You were my hero. And I swore to myself I'd repay you if I could." He barked out a self-depreciating laugh.

I hesitated. It was as much answer as I would get, I could tell.

Now...

"What about you?," I asked.

"'What about me', what?," he blinked, remembering. "You mean..?"

I nodded. "Have you ever loved anyone? Been in love?"

His eyes widened and I was reminded of the Becker I'd come to know. His face shifted to a gentlee expression and his eyes crinkled in a soft chuckle.

"Yes. I've loved many. As many as I've lost," he added sadly. "I've lost track of the number of times my heart has been taken by another." He looked me in the eyes.

"Do you love anyone now? Or did you, before you died?"

He paused and bent his head down, obscuring his face. "Do I love anyone?," he took a breath and let it out.

"Yes."

He looked up again and I was reminded of what an attractive young man he had been. And now, I could see that he would have grown to be devastatingly handsome.

His angelic face could break the hearts of whoever laid eyes on him. His gaze burning through every one of them.

 _I hadn't thought of it before, but he really must have been popular in school. A beautiful, young prodigy._

 _A tragic one._

"I've loved someone for a time now. But it doesn't matter. Not anymore." His face became closed and the fog closed around his head, swallowing him whole, and making him a solid mass of writhing black smoke.

A heavy clap next to me made me jump. "Hilarious."

I turned to him, spitting fire, "I really pity you, you know. You're just a cold bastard that's never been loved. And it will stay that way for the rest of your life. Cold and meaningless. That will be your existence." I have him a cruel smile and repeated, "I pity you."

His eyes started to glow menacingly and I felt a heavy blanket of fear try to weigh me down, but before he could reach me, I turned and ran towards Becker. I put the quartz in my pocket.

I practically flew, my legs carrying me weightlessly. Before I knew it I'd almost reached-

Piper seemed to appear our of nowhere in front of me, next to Beck. I tried to skid to a halt, but stumbled and fell to the ground instead.

 _Oh, no-_

I choked as he gripped me by the throat the same way he had done to Stanley. I clawed at his hand, gasping for breath like a fish out of water. I felt my face start to turn purple.

"Stupid girl! For that, you will die." I felt the pressure on my neck reach a peak.

I reached into my pocket. "You * _cough_ * wanted this? Then _fetch_ , you piece of shit." I tossed it into the black fog.

" _NOOOOOO!,_ " he skreeched, his breath of rotting flesh stinging my eyes.

Those twin, silver moons, born of madness and greed were the last thing I saw. Spheres of insanity that drew me in their hungry depths.

I felt release, for what felt like the first time in my life since I flew off the roof of my house as a little girl and lay motionless on the grass. A tear sprang in one eye. _Haahhh.._

 ** _CRACK!_**

 **Thud.**

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about how short the chapter is, but I wasn't sure when I'd actually be able to complete the story. Did you like it? Probably not, but let me know how you felt and if it shocked you. Let me know what you think could happen next. And, as always, I thank you for reviewing.**


	18. Where's Waldo?

**A/N: To make up for the lack of content in the last post I wrote a _much_ longer chapter. I hope you like it.**

* * *

The figure awoke once again. It sat up and placed a hand to its neck.

 _Crick. Crack._

It rolled it's head on it's shoulders and stood silently, like a shadow.

It felt the presence of the other being, from before, in the dark room. It lifted it's face and inhaled deeply.

 _The innocent...and something rotten.._

The tangy taste of blood and other fluids were left on the back of its tongue.

The figure's eyes roamed the room and landed on the other beings present. Its blue eyes focused sharply on a black cloud emanating from the ground. Rays of light protruded from it, rising in number as it watched quietly.

Like daylight peeking from behind the clouds.

It smelled beautiful.

It rose, saliva dripping out of its mouth, and walked towards it, its footsteps soundless. As it approached, another figure caught its attention.

A man with grey skin was chanting loudly at the cloud, his expression intense and furious.

The figure curled its lip.

 _The rotting man_.

A low sound like a tiger's chuff emanated from deep within its throat.

Images, like pictures flashed in its mind. The rotting man was bad. He wanted the innocent.

 _The rotting man had to go away._

It flashed to a few feet away from Doctor Piper, approaching silently from behind. He was oblivious to the murderous gaze behind him for the most part.

He shivered and turned suddenly. His eyes widened, shock registering in his features. He stumbled back before steadying himself.

"H-how? I killed you! You should be dead!" He was furious. And confused. "You're supposed to be dead!" With that last statement he flew at the figure.

But he wasn't fast enough. A hand grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the pavement. Before he could recover that same hand cracked his spine, leaving him with an unimaginable amount of pain. He screeched out in disbelief and hurt.

The figure stood now that the rotting man was immobile.

Somehow the man managed to twist onto his back to face it. He coughed and something rattled.

"It's...not possible," he whispered, shaking. He started chanting again with more speed. The figure felt something touch it and reacted.

It forced the rotting man's putrid mouth open and started pulling at his teeth. _One. Two. Three..._

 **"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"**

The sound hurt it's ears.

 _More._

 _More and he will be quiet._

 _And I will take it. It will be mine._

It shoved its hand inside his mouth and gripped his tongue. Finger dug into the moist flesh, pulling, cutting into it. His shrieks grew shrill.

His silver eyes rolled back into his head.

 _More_.

The figure grew excited.

 _Moremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremore-_

Heavy breathing filled the dark, echoing space.

 _Almost..._

It felt a tingling sensation behind it. It turned around to see that the cloud had disappeared. A faint light slowly dissipated in the air until it was dark again.

It turned around again, only to find itself face to face with the other being. This time it glowed like the sun itself, blinding it with its power. This one had taken the innocent.

The figure snarled. "You."

The other being smiled. "Let go now." It pointed at the rotting man.

The figure bared its teeth and dug its fingers in deeper. A squelching sound exuded and the body spasmed.

A golden hand took the mutilating fingers and lifted them away effortlessly. The rotten thing whimpered and the body between them went slack.

"Weak."

"No, you're just too strong. Too strong for your own good."

Its hackles raised, cerulean eyes narrowing predatorily. "You are stronger."

A chuckle, ringing like a bell, reverberated. It seemed to warm the being for some reason.

"You are infinitely stronger. You are just unaware. A babe." The other glanced up.

"I believe now is the time to set you right. Now that I have come back to my original state, I am able."

"You took the innocent."

"It was mine to begin with." It lifted something in its hand.

 _The crystal! But..._ The golden innocence was gone. It was now just a cloudy quartz.

Yet, inexplicably, the fog started to swirl and began to escape the mineral through wispy strings of fog. One it was all out it floated erratically, knitting itself together.

It became a glowing white orb.

" _Innocence_." The figure reached out but the golden one stopped it.

"Watch," was its whispered response. Its cadence was like something smooth and hot running down the figure's throat.

The glowing soul floated like air towards the broken one. The originator.

The madman who started it all.

Slowly, wisps left him as well and congealed into another glowing orb, this one a faint blue color. They got closer to one another, flickering as they did so, until they shun so brightly they lit up the entire room.

The figure blinked, and for a fraction of a moment, it saw two people. One, the broken man. The other...a beautiful woman with short, blond hair.

Her violet eyes glowed with magic as she looked at him, their hands intertwined. She turned back to them.

Her gaze landed on the figure, her voice like a swaying willow-

" _Thank you_."

The next second they were gone. The only trace they had been there were the faint glittering sparks in the room raining down on them.

They caught in the blue moonlight.

* * *

The golden ones fingers brushed across the figure's face, barely touching. When it pulled away, they were wet.

It touched its own face and saw that there was a clear liquid leaking from it.

"I think it's time I woke you from this nightmare." His dazzling green eyes lit up with joviality.

"I'm sorry about this, but it's gonna hurt like a bitch. Hope you can find enough room in that heart of yours to forgive me. **Stephanie**."

"Wha-?"

 _Becker?_

I gasped as his hand slammed into me. I yelled in agony as his arm started to plunge into my middle.

My hands shook, weakly trying to pull it out, but he dug inside of me, searching.

I felt faint when he started to retract his hand. And when he did there was a loud popping noise.

Quickly I felt my midsection and looked at myself. But there was nothing. Even the pain I had felt before was gone.

I wiped a trembling hand across my sweaty forehead and looked up.

"No way," I said quietly, staring at the things levitating above Becker's palm.

Three golden wisps twirled like a fire, bouncing and writhing.

"How?," I asked, breathless.

 _That had been...inside of me?_

He pursed his lips into a tight line. Then looked at me with big eyes. "It was the only way I could think of protecting you from yourself...and others. Doctor Piper had no idea he'd been missing a piece of the equation, namely me. And you."

I was afraid to ask but he answered my silent question.

"They're pieces of my soul."

"Oh, Becker...at what cost? Is...is that why you were so weak?" It had to be.

He scratched his head and pouted. "Well, no, not really. Actually.. kinda...yes," he hung his head but peeked up at me. His eyes were laughing.

 _A serious adult, you are not._

I slapped his arm. "You're not fooling me. Promise me you won't do that to yourself again!" He mumbled in agreement.

I laughed but suddenly felt a tightening in my chest. I gasped.

Quickly, Beck opened his palm and about a dozen small flickering shapes danced in the air.

They were silver.

"This is what Piper aspired to own. To _become_ , once he got his hands on the black blood and Vanessa's soul," he said seriously.

"They're yours."

"What do you mean? Didn't you put pieces of your soul in me?"

"I did it to camouflage your soul, so he wouldn't know. Otherwise things wouldn't have ended the way they did...I can assure you." The way he said it made my blood run cold.

"The reason you were always so cold is because you were having a negative reaction to the foreign presence inside your body. Like an organ transplant. I'm really, really sorry about that one!" He put his hands up in a praying motion and bowed his head.

I couldn't bring myself to be mad at him. And, technically, I couldn't be. His plan had worked.

"The wendigo was right about one thing. While your body was getting accustomed to the black blood, it was forcing chunks of your own soul out of you. And I stood by to catch them. Not to eat them!," he corrected quickly, "But to return them to you once you'd stabilized!"

I put my hands up. "I believe you!"

He gazed at the pieces of my soul in wonder. "And yet, even without these, your unconscious mind was able to heal you." He looked at my neck and I put my hand to it, remembering the feeling.

He huffed out a breath and slammed his hand into me again. My breath left me.

"You- _fucker_ -," I wheezed out. He retracted his hand once again and I slapped his head as hard as I could. It didn't do much damage.

He rubbed the top of his head half-heartedly. "Okay-dokey. Your as fit as a fiddle now. Hmmmm. You could argue that you're a lot fitter than just one fiddle, really...," he said the last to himself, running his thumb across his now chiseled chin.

"Whoa, wait! Don't think things are just going to end like this! Am I still human? Because you sure as shit aren't making it seem like it. And for that matter, what are you? Are you some kind of almighty powerful demon? The devil in disguise?!" I started to hyperventilate.

He gave me a look that said _'get real'_ and raised a sharp, black eyebrow. He placed his hand on the back of his neck and looked down, shifting his gaze.

It looked suspiciously like he was about to fib.

"Well, actu-" He stopped and looked towards the entrance of the building.

"Ah man, why do I always get interrupted?," he asked, though it didn't seem to bother him much. He got up quickly, his powerful form rising gracefully. I got up clumsily, following him.

We stopped in front of Peter's unconscious form. "Go over there, where you're more visible." He pointed a few feet to the right.

"Why?"

He growled and I went.

From this position I could see the door and Becker. I watched as he crouched down next to Peter and reached a hand out.

My blood pounded loudly in my ears as I realized what he was about to do.

 _Bang!_

 _Bang_!

My head swiveled to the main enterance The door was holding whoever it was back, but only barely. I could see that it was starting to give in.

 _Bang! Crack!_

 _A lot sooner than I thought!_

I turned back to Becker as the pounding continued, jarring my senses.

Becker plunged his hand into Peter's chest like he had done to me and his body spasmed.

"Beck!," I called out worriedly. He ignored me, closing his eyes instead, and feeling inside the other man's chest cavity.

It was as facinating as it was repulsive. And now that I was objective to it, I could hear strange squelching and sloshing sounds as he dug into him. I shivered, but this time it was a purely instinctual move.

 _Wham!_ The door started to bend inwards. With each push it opened further.

I started to get nervous.

"Becker...do you know who's knocking on our door? The big bad wolf mabye?" I laughed nervously at my lame joke.

This time Becker looked at me and the door. "Huh." He went back to extracting whatever it was.

 _He's sounding more and more like the men I know,_ I thought a jokingly...and a little bitterly. But his nonchalant response helped alleviate some of my anxiety. If he wasn't worried I shouldn't be. Right?

Until, that is, I saw what he was pulling out. I gasped and would have thrown up if I hadn't already emptied my stomach. I settled with a big dry heave.

His arm slowly pulled back, thick black liquid lining the entire expanse of it. It smelled like somebody dug up a grave with decomposing body in it. When his hand finally plopped out, it held a wriggling black mass. It glistened like black oil.

The part that really made my hair stand on end was that it seemed to have small tentacles. And they dug into Becker's hand as if trying to attach themselves to him.

Slowly, he closed his hand over it, in a fist. His whole body shuddered for a second and his head snapped up before it was over. He rolled his head and exhaled. When he opened his hand it was gone.

I looked down and Peter Piper. He looked completely human now.

"Did you...make him normal again? Is that what was making him like that?"

"Yes. It's still unclear whether it was something he contracted when working with those ancient beings or whether he did this to himself by...well...let's just say folklore leaves a lot to the imagination. You can never be sure."

"Is that the line you're feeding me?"

"Yup. And I'm sticking with it!," he said in a fake stern voice.

I felt a little uncomfortable, but this was likely the only time I would get a real answer from him.

"That night," I started, tentatively, "in the alley. You saw it didn't you? That...man. Don't lie to me. It's obvious it was you who would watch over me at night when I...went in search."

His face looked weary and a little tired. He sighed. "Steph. There are things it's better you never have to know about. This world you're ass deep in now?,"

His green eyes reflected an emotion I wasn't sure I could read, "It's not yours. It was never meant to be." He took a small breath, his full lips parting.

"And I will make sure of that. I'll make sure you never go to deep that you can't return."

My heart beat louder and louder as he approached me. The tension in the room seemed to rise to a breathless level. He stopped, his face inches from mine.

His eyes roamed my face and I felt my throat close up. His mouth barely moved as he whispered-

"I promise you that."

I looked into his eyes. And you know that saying of eyes being the windows to the soul? Well, they must have been onto something because it was something indescribably...wondrous.

 ** _CRASH!_**

My head whipped to the side and I flinched at my neck.

"Ahh! Damnit!" _Stupid neck cramp!_

"Stephanie! Stephanie?!"

"Stephanie are you okay? We're here!"

Shouts echoed loudly in the space, reverberating against the metal walls.

I shielded my eyes from the sudden light. Dark silhouettes approached me, more and more flooding in through the, now open, door.

My eyes finally adjusted and I could see a flock of police officers storming in. A man with perfectly tan skin and stormy, dark eyes ran ahead of the rest.

Morelli.

"Stephanie!," he panted once he saw me. He ran up to me and wrapped his powerful arms around me, holding me tightly like I'd disappear at any moment.

"Morelli," I said tightly, patting his back, "you're, uh, you're choking me."

He let go immediately. "Oh! Oh..I'm..Sorry..." His voice got fainter and fainter. When I looked up at him I saw tears in his eyes. They were bloodshot. And now that I looked closer, his hair was disheveled and he was wearing a shirt with stains all over it.

I pulled at my heart. It killed me a little to see him this way.

 _Because of me._

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to worry you so much. I'm sorry. _I'm sorry_."

He lifted his hands to my face and traced its planes. He put his forehead to mine, both hands tangling into the sides of my wild hair.

"I don't care. As long as you're safe, I don't give a rat's ass about anything else."

He looked at my eyes, his gaze burning down to my lips as officers took in the bodies, blood, and other evidence. His eyes grew hooded and they melted to a chocolate brown as he drew me closer.

I pulled away.

I felt my blood run quickly over his crestfallen expression, but carried on.

"Sorry, Morelli. But I'm not in a good place, emotionally, right now. Especially with you. In the couple days I've had away from everyone I've had a lot of time to think."

He blinked and a quiet tear ran down his cheek. Another started to fall as well, from his other eye. "Does this mean...you don't," he swallowed loudly, his voice scratchy,"you don't love me anymore?" He whispered the last.

I swallowed my pride and continued. "I love you Morelli..Mabye at some point I loved you more than anybody else in the entire world. But you know what," fat, angry tears started to fall of their own accord as I spoke, "you want to know what? You dumping me out of the blue, like that?," I snapped my fingers, "The way you did?," I laughed wretchedly. "It made me realize how much it hurts me to know how willing you are to give up. I know I haven't been the best girlfriend, and that you've had to fight to make us work, but, in the end, we loved one another, didn't we?" My breath hitched.

"I can't bring myself to want to be with you at the moment. I...I just don't know anymore. I love you Morelli. But you may have lost me forever." His face was haggard, like he had disenflated.

He smiled faintly, "I love you too. Always... I'm sorry," he whispered. I closed my eyes and turned away-

Only to slam my face into a hard chest. I looked up and my mouth opened in surprise.

"Ranger," I breathed.

His dark eyes looked me over. And then he did something unexpected. He pulled me gently to him, cradling the back of my head.

He whispered in spanish, quietly, against my war. _"Gracias dios mio..."_

He pulled away just enough to kiss my forehead tenderly. He smelled of sweat and that bulgari shampoo I loved. I noticed that he looked like the walking dead too.

He put his face to my cheek, "Don't _EVER_ do that again. Do you understand?" He said it with a low voice but my instincts told me there was an underlying threat in his words.

"Okay," I squeaked.

He chuckled tiredly. "Glad you understand," he said as his hand ran down my spine and up again repetitively, leaving a hot trail that tingled behind. My face grew warm.

After what seemed like an eternity, he let go.

"It's a a good thing you told Connie where you were, and to notify us if you didn't answer back within ten minutes."

I thought back to when me and Becker were in the car, debating whether or not to call.

 _'"Why don't you call your friend at the office then? She could call them in case something happened,"' said Becker._

 _I nodded, relenting. '"Yeah. You're right. I'll do that"' My fingers shook as I pressed the keys. The phone rang._

 _'"Hello?"'_

I was brought back to the present when Ranger asked me some questions. Some officers I recognized jotted down the information on their notepads. I gave them as much answer as I could without making them privy to information that would likely send me straight to the nut house.

It seemed they had already found Piper to be as suspect. The serial number at the top of the paper I had given to Connie seemed to come in handy for their investigation. It turned out it was his identification number as a researcher in Columbia, the sheet was incriminating evidence, making his desire to start the project up again evident.

Even without me giving away my location, they had kept digital surveillance on him by tracking his phone through GPS.

When I started shivering, a paramedic gave me a blanket to cover my shoulders and warm me up a bit. They told me I was in shock now that the adrenaline was leaving my system.

 _A hell of a lot of adrenaline, I thought to myself, recalling my rampage and the mindless violence. I shivered._

Morelli, Ranger, and the rest continued to survey the area and theorize to one another. Some took pictures and left numbers and other things on the ground. A disgruntled Peter yelled insanely at the paramedics as they led him away.

Little did they know he was telling the truth.

The paramedic looked at me kindly. She was an older woman with dyed, red hair and lovely hazel eyes. She patted my hand. "Don't worry honey," she said sweetly, "You're safe now. The bad man can't get you."

 _Safe._

 ** _'Ive been saved.'_**

I blinked. "Becker."

I stood up, the blanket sliding off. I looked around but all I could see were people in uniforms.

I walked forward, my head swiveling, searching. "Becker? Beck?!" I started running to where I'd last seen him.

"Beck! BECK!" I kept shouting, drawing the attention of people nearby. I panted, exhausted and still weak from before.

I spun in a circle. "" _BEEEECCCKKKKKK_!"

Morelli and Ranger came jogging towards me. "What's wrong? Why are you yelling that name?"

"Are you alright?" Ranger touched my forehead. "I think you're running a fever. You're really hot." He signaled to one of the rangemen. Tank came to his side.

"Take her to get checked." Tank nodded and gently pushed me forward.

"Wait," I said drowsily, "Wait. I finally found him. I can't...I _can't_ -"

"Shhh. Go to the hospital. Let them care of you." Ranger pressed his soft lips to mine in a quick kiss that created butterflies in my stomach.

"That's right. Go and care for yourself. We can hold the fort here," said Morelli quietly. He smiled. "Go take care of yourself now."

 _But I can't. I can't leave him alone again._

 _Not again._

"I can't leave him alone like before. I can't break any more promises."

* * *

I left quietly with Tank to the hospital where they looked me over, agreed I was a little warmer than I should be, and gave me medicine.

But before that, as we left the lab, I could have sworn I saw a figure watch us go, becoming smaller and smaller as we drove away.

A figure with emeralds for eyes, dazzling and unreal as the new years full moon shone down on them.

I let out a breath.

 _'"I promise you that."'_

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading up to now. One more chapter left till everything is done. Thank you for reviewing. Let me know your thoughts in the comments, please. For the Babes, sorry, but I tried my hardest here. I just might not be cut out for writing romance.**


	19. Angel Baby

I slipped on the black dress I'd somehow unearthed from the back of my closet in the quiet apartment.

I was back home now, tired, and with a weary soul, after all that had happened in the last couple of days. After I'd been rescued once again I hadn't been able to find any sign of Becker.

He had vanished.

I clenched my fists and stood up straighter, looking into my bathroom mirror and tucking a loose curl behind my ear in an effort to maintain the chignon I had tried so long to style.

I spritzed some perfume behind my ears.

Finally, I applied my red lipstick, the creamy texture gliding unfamiliarity on my lips before I grabbed my keys and left.

* * *

I parked the car Ranger had so generously entrusted me with for the thousandth time at the curb, next to the nicely tended grass seemingly spanning into eternity.

I got out and headed up the cloudy green hill in my heels, praying my ankles wouldn't snap. My palms started to dampen and I wiped them on the sides of my dress, praying to God that I wouldn't mess things up. Not this time at least.

I saw figures in the distance and approached tentatively. Their distant murmurs jumbled together with the quiet rustling of the willows and left over balloons and wilting flowers in abandoned vases. Two figures approached me. A man and a woman.

The woman was older, with striking features of black hair and vivid green eyes. They matched the surroundings perfectly. The man next to her was tall and dapper looking with his neatly pressed suit and combed hair. He had warm blue eyes, the color of a summer sky.

I knew who they were before they said anything.

"Thank you for coming Ms. Plum, ah, Stephanie," the lovely woman said with a faint Irish lilt. Her tired eyes didn't betray her emotions, and while kind, remained sorrowful. Her husband spoke up this time, "Yes. We feel a great gratitude towards you. We wished to invite you because we felt it was right."

Becker had his mothers exact coloring but I could see that he was the spitting image of his father.

My hand trembled. I raised it up and we shook hands.

"No," I said, shaking my head, " I'm very grateful to have been invited. In very sorry for your loss." I cut myself short as my voice started to wobble. I blinked rapidly and looked up again quickly.

We hugged and Beck's mom held me in her arms for a long time. I held onto her like a lifeline before we finally let go.

I walked with them back to the grounds, where soon Beck's body would be buried. The charming landscape (if not for the lack of sunlight) a stark contrast between it and the mourning friends and family in black. Another set of figures, this time familiar, stepped towards me from the huge white tent where everything was set up.

Gobbles and Julie approached me, smiling tiredly, but happily at me.

We hugged briefly. "Thank you for this Stephanie," said Gobbs, "With this everyone can rest in peace, especially Becker." He nodded sadly and continued, " And I don't have to run away anymore like a criminal. I haven't heard the end of it from my mom actually!" He laughed a bit at that and we joined in. A lightness settled in my heart for the moment and I smiled.

"I can imagine," I chuckled back.

"So...I heard you'll be playing something for him," asked Julie, radiation warmth.

 _That's another thing isn't it?_ I could now suddenly read people and do a number of other unexplainable things.

Not for the first time I wished Beck were here to tell me what was happening to me...and to guide me.

"Ah...yes," I scratched my head embarrassed. I coughed as my checks warmed. I was prepared but it didn't make the task any lighter.

Gobbles beamed. "So you really do know how to play the piano huh? I can't wait to hear what you have in store."

I put on a front and answered nonchalantly that he would not be disappointed.

But inside I was sweating bullets.

 _Why did I have to tell Becker's parents that I could play something. Stupid! I only learned a couple songs about a hundred years ago!_

I smacked my palm against my forehead and hid behind a nearby tree as the proceedings were in event. I closed my eyes and listened to the words echoing in the huge expanse.

* * *

 _There was...one song that I had learned on my own. I remember my instructor being amazed at my little fingers as they danced across the instrument. I felt as if I was flying._

I was forced back to earth by the nearby tinkling sounds next to me which I realized was Valerie playing.

The instructor stepped away.

 _From that point on I realized that no matter what I did, I was useless._

I had always wanted to be special. I touched my neck and an echo of a memory came back, to a couple days ago when I thought I'd finally left this world. I shut my eyes tight.

 _Not that kind of special._

An image of chocolate brown eyes drowning me in their heat from across the drowsy morning in bed... I shook my head and a small laugh escaped me.

Or not special enough? _Was I fated to be this kind of creature.. This kind of person... For all of my existence?_

I looked up and the glint of the piano, masterfully crafted of spruce, birch, pine, and maple to form the elegant tool that sat in the glowing greenery beside the platform and...box.. where he laid.

I swallowed and walked quickly to it. Never glancing at the still form beside me. Telling me to look at it and confirm that he was well and truly gone.

Forever.

I sat down on the bench, partially obscured from the attenders by the lid and music rack. After all that, they were ready and patiently waiting for me to perform with consummate elegance. Elegance I wished to call up from somewhere within me.

But I hesitated. Sweat beaded on my forehead. My hands slowly settled into the keys. And somehow the memory started flooding into my mind. The keys swiftly moved along my pace, a muscle memory that, apparently, was present within me.

"Claire De Lune" I heard some mumble from the other side. My hand twitched and the sweat started to roll down. The melody resonated with my soul and I trembled. My eyes grew foggy.

"Claire De Lune, huh? Who knew you had it in you, Ms. Plum," the young man next to me chuckled.

My eyes grew as wide as saucers and the tears I had tried so hard to hold back rolled down my face as if rolling down an oil slick. Big, heavy, and ugly.

"No," I said, my voice wobbling, "You're just a delusion. A hallucination."

My fingers stuttered over the keys as he walked behind me, but his hands overlapped mine and steadied them, bringing me back to the correct pace.

Young hands that glowed with and impossibly golden light.

A face appeared next to mine as he leaned in and I closed my eyes to the smell of... What was it?

"Wouldn't you like to know," he whispered in response. "Let's see," he said, and took over the piano. I lifted my fingers briefly and, finally, turned to see him.

"Beck."

I almost chocked. It was him. He was here but... He was different.

Inexplicably, he was back to his youthful form of a college student. But for whatever reason it was as if he was made of pure gold. Light filtered around him like a dazzling halo.

 **He was beautiful.**

I reached out to him but my hand slipped through him like when he was a ghost.

"Why?," I asked. He glanced at me and I expected those eyes of his to be golden like the rest of him was, but, as his cherubic countenance turned my way, I could see that he had blessedly maintained those tools of contemplation in the same viridescent shade. He smirked at my fascination.

"Let's play it together. The end," he asked. I smiled widely and an inner light filled me with so much joy and relief that I thought it was too much for me to handle.

Our hands joined as one to play. Like two figure skaters in a choreography. Gliding through the white expanse, relying on one another to create the perfect performance.

As our fingers hit the last keys I felt every one like a small weight. I didn't want it to be over..

* * *

But it was. Sooner than I thought it would be.

A small applause sounded from the audience of mourners and I was brought back to reality.

"Stand up and take a bow," he whispered, smiling.

I walked around the piano to where I could see everyone and blinked when I saw Ranger and Morelli standing in the front row, clapping. I looked away feeling my face burn.

I saw glowing feet next to me and turned. Beck put his hands on his hips and made an impatient motion. "Cmon then, give them a bow."

"Only if you do it with me." He rolled his eyes but smiled.

We bowed graciously.

"Where were you?", I asked him quickly.

"I'm not at liberty to say I'm afraid."

 _What?_ "What, do you have some bosses that told you not to tell or something?", I asked sarcastically.

He laughed a bit nervously but good-naturedly. "Something like that, yeah. I came back for the funeral as a final farewell to everyone."

My heart dropped. I stood up. It was probably starting to get weird how long that bow was. I heard somebody speaking at the podium where the small stage had been erected thanking me and such but I was only paying attention to my ghostly companion.

He walked up next to the wooden box and gazed inside it, his expression unreadable. He then cast his vision over the others, lingering on Gobbles and then his parents. Finally he turned back to me, walking towards the edge of the stage.

"Thank you Stephanie. Really. Without your help I wouldn't be able to rest. I wouldn't have had justice." His eyes crinkled at the corners.

From behind him sprung something that made me balk with disbelief. I gasped.

 _It..can't be._ But it made sense. So many things were connecting.

"You weren't a demon..."

Massive wings spanning an impossible length swayed gently behind him, as white and pure as fresh snow. Glowing with that same warm glow that surrounded him.

 _...you were..an angel..._

The clouds parted directly above him, shining down onto everyone. The sun finally freed and able to dazzle us.

He rose up on his glorious wings, slowly drifting upwards, fading like an after image as he did.

"Wait, Beck! Will I see you again? I have so many questions." I sounded desperate.

 _I don't want you to leave._

"Goodbye Stephanie," his eyes gentle and, as l looked closer I realized, heartbroken. He smiled.

"I love you, Ms. Plum."

I smiled, my eyes becoming rivers whose dam had broken. "I love you too," I sobbed.

I fell to the ground in my knees as I watched him drift further away, until he had faded away into sunlight.

It was a beautiful day.

 _Goodbye. Beck._

* * *

 **A/N: I know I said this was the last chapter to seal the deal but I feel I still need to write a short epilogue in order to seal the deal and lay it to rest for now. Not sure if I'll be coming back to this story after it this though since it wasn't very popular to begin with. But we'll see. Thank you for reading.**


	20. Epilogue: Highway to Hell

**Epilogue**

"...and make sure you catch him this time?," shouted Vinnie before slamming the door to his office closed.

Lula, Connie, and me rolled our eyes in unison.

Connie cleared her throat, "Don't mind him. He's been lonely without you." Her face warmed, "We all have."

I felt heat in my cheeks and turned away in embarrassment.

Lula harrumphed. "Huh. Yeah I guess we missed you. Though not too much on account you didn't tell us nothin' and I wasn't even invited to go into hiding with you either," she pouted.

I laughed. "Sorry, you know I couldn't tell anyone." I had apologized profusely to my friends and family. Grandma Mazur and Lula however were upset they hadn't joined in on the 'fun'.

"Huh." She got over it quickly enough when she saw what I'd brought her. Her eyes grew into saucers.

"Are those Boston creme donuts? Because I'm really hungry. Bein' angry sure does take a lot out of you you know. And I've been good on my diet. One bite won't do any harm...," she mumbled before she attacked.

I waved to Connie before I left hearing Lula's 'Wait for me!' behind me. But I knew it would take her a Minnesota to inhale a few of the delicious sweets.

The sun was blazing today and I shielded my eyes from the golden rays as I stepped out.

I turned towards my car and started walking towards it before stopping suddenly and holding completely still.

A tall, lean man with long black hair leaned against the side of the Mercedes Ranger had loaned me (though we both know this loan is going to end soon enough when something happens to it). He wore dark shades and his full lips parted roguishly as he turned to me. He uncrossed his arms and stood up straight to his full height.

I was at a loss for words for a full minute.

"Hey," he drawled.

I blinked. "I...you...," I stopped again. I was happy, I was angry- mostly confused. I decided joy won out. "You have to stop disappearing and reappearing like this," I laughed, tears at the corners of my eyes. I walked towards him and he gently missed my hair.

 _Who cares if it looks like a rats nest now?_

"You have some serious explaining to do kid!," I said mock sternly. Though I couldn't call him a kid once again. He had taken that older and otherworldly appearance one again.

 _What's up with that?_

He removed his shades and raised his eyebrows. "Well I didn't think I was coming back either to tell you the truth." I blinked.

He continued, scratching the back of his neck, "Well...apparently the big guy upstairs wants me to watch over you for now and teach you a thing or two about the other world." He sighed. "Like it or not, it looks like you're a part of it. For now anyway."

He placed his hands on my shoulders lightly and added, "I promised you that much before."

His eyes shifted to the side and he looked a bit indignant. "I guess I didn't do as good a job trying to fix us up properly too. You still have fragments of me in you and as such I'm still not completely inaugurated." He laughed a bit painfully. Then shrugged. "But that's okay. More time here hanging out."

I felt a bit sad for him. The fact that even now he couldn't enjoy his rest. But...I couldn't lie to myself. I was pretty excited to keep seeing him, if at least for a while longer. I'd missed his sarcasm and quick quips. Not to mention, I'd finally get some answers to all kinds of questions plaguing my mind.

I looked at him again and tilted my head to the side. "Oh right, I've been meaning to ask. Why are you back to this...form? I don't understand the transition."

He smiled widely, his usually clean eyes sly. "Well...," he drawled with mischief. He looked behind me and I heard Lula walking quickly in my direction before turning to look.

"Wait!..Wait for me, don't leave me behin-," she stopped suddenly a foot from me and looked like a gasping fish out of water. Her eyes were so wide I was half afraid they'd fall out.

"WHO. _IS THIS?_!," she was half drooling but quickly struck a pose one could suppose would be described as come-hither. Her eyes were half shut and her mouth in a prime pout. He body encase in an outfit reminiscent of a space suit. If astronauts wore jewel encrusted belts. And the bottom half of their suits were another three inches of shiny fabric that miraculously covered their genitalia. Her hair was short and fluorescent yellow.

At first I was confused. And when Becker stepped towards her and shook her hand, and introduced himself to her before she passed out, I felt like passing out myself.

I looked down at her prone form and her pleased sleeping face before turning back to him, speechless.

If it was even possible, and boy was it, his grin got twice as big. He gestured over his body as if presenting a magic trick and it clicked in my head.

"People..can see you..in this form?," I rasped.

"Yep," he knocked on his solid chest, "Touch me too. This is a form I can use because it's impossible for me to use my old form in this world anymore. And, not being a ghost, I have this ability..amongst others." He shrugged and walked towards Lula pulling her up as she awakened and placing her gently inside the car as she fanned herself and mumbled something like 'lordylordylord'.

He opened the drivers side door and gestured for me to get in then walked around and entered through the other side, taking the passenger seat.

We turned to each other and a slow smile lit both of our faces as the incredulity wore off and a nice warmth set in.

"Ready to go on another adventure _Ms. Plum_?"

"You bet, _ghost_." I raised one eyebrow and he chuckled.

I hit the gas and left a trail of dust behind us as we made our way to our first skip of the day.

 _You bet._

* * *

A/N: Alright. This is the official ending now, sorry for the long wait. I wanted to smooth out the wrinkles and provide an ending that left some satisfaction that questions would be answered. I'm pretty happy about it anyway. Leave me your comments and let me know if you liked the ending and would like to see a continuation someday (this time being able to really add **Morelli** and **Ranger** into the mix..? *raised eyebrow* To tell the truth I already planted some hints in this story, although a sequel may or may not come depending on if people actually want to read it). Anyway, as always, thanks for reading and keeping up with this unusual story. I appreciate your comments as well. Thank you.


End file.
